Matty Cash has been reflecting on a historic season for Aston Villa.
When Cash joined the club in 2020 they had just survived in their first season back in the Premier League by the skin of their teeth.
Fast-forward four years and Aston Villa are now a Champions League club having finished fourth in the top flight in what was an incredible season.
Manager Unai Emery deserves enormous credit for that and his new long-term contract could not be more deserved.
The Spaniard has got the absolute maximum out of his squad, with almost every player improving since Emery arrived in late 2022.
One such player is Ollie Watkins, with Cash revealing what he believes was the turning point for his teammate.
Matty Cash reveals Ollie Watkins ‘turning point’
Watkins has just enjoyed the best season of his career, scoring a remarkable 27 goals in all competitions as well as providing 13 assists.
Whilst Watkins had always been a decent Premier League striker since his arrival from Brentford in 2020, he elevated his game to new heights in the 2023/24 season.
Cash has seen the journey Watkins has gone on to get to this level having joined in the same transfer window as the 28-year-old and spoke on TalkSPORT about the striker on Tuesday evening.
Speaking about Watkins’ form, Cash said: “I think Ollie is a bit of a confidence player, you know. I think there was a turning point last year against Southampton or wherever he scored.
“He was having a bit of doubt before that. For him, when he scores goals and he thrives on goals, he gains so much confidence.”
If goals bring confidence, then Watkins must have been walking on clouds this season.
Cash suggested this was the case, as he went on to explain: “Now, I speak to him and he thinks he will score.
“He says, ‘I will score today’ and I am like, the confidence that he has in himself since he came to Villa, I have seen the work rate and what he puts on the football pitch, he does everything right, obviously he wouldn’t be at this level if he didn’t.
“The hard work has paid off for him.”
Ollie Watkins deserves England Euros spot
Watkins’ goalscoring feat this season is made even better by the fact that his 27 goals do not include a single penalty.
Now, Watkins is concentrating all his efforts on impressing Gareth Southgate in England training having made the provisional 33-man squad for this summer’s European Championship in Germany.
Southgate has the unenviable task of cutting the squad down to 26 players and Watkins will be desperate to be involved.
In the last international break, both Watkins and Brentford’s Ivan Toney were handed a start each in friendlies against Belgium and Brazil respectively.
Toney was the more impressive in those one-off games, but Watkins’ form can surely not be ignored; especially with Toney suffering a drop-off in form since his initial return from his gambling ban in January.
Such is the confidence of Watkins right now, he will not just want to be involved but to play a part in the tournament to add to his 11 international caps so far.
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