Ollie Watkins Apologizes to Aston Villa Teammates After Brighton Match

Unai Emery revealed that Ollie Watkins apologised to his Aston Villa teammates for refusing to play on Sunday, as the head coach delivered a heartfelt farewell to the club’s departing record scorer.

Watkins made himself unavailable for the game against Brighton, a decision that jarred with the image of a player long seen as the heartbeat of Villa’s attack. Emery did not hide from the mistake, but made it clear the matter is closed inside the dressing room.

“He told us after the Brighton match he was sorry and that he had made a mistake. He was wrong, but we accepted it. The players as well,” Emery said, underlining the striker’s standing within the squad.

The 30-year-old is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal, ending a four-year spell in which he rewrote Villa’s Premier League record books. Signed from Brentford for £28m in 2020, Watkins has scored 91 Premier League goals for the club and 108 in all competitions, numbers that have carried Villa from mid-table anxiety into Champions League territory.

Emery lingered on the person as much as the player.

“His commitment and his behaviour was fantastic. He's a fantastic guy – a fantastic guy even more than a player,” he said. “I told him ‘bye’ with a huge hug and with small tears.”

Villa, though, are already moving on. The club are poised to complete a £65m deal for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, who is being lined up as Watkins’ direct replacement.

For Emery, the emotion of farewell quickly meets the reality of the next phase.

“But now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson,” he said, drawing a clear line between an era defined by Watkins’ goals and the one about to begin.