Ollie Watkins On His Alternate Route To The Top

To kick off with, talking about life in the south west and academy life specifically, how would you say Exeter shaped your mindset, your character and made you who you are?

Coming from Devon I’d say there’s not a bigger reach than coming from London. Obviously there’s a lot more teams so it's harder to get through to these academies and obviously when you do get through, they’re top teams. Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Palace for example, it's harder to get through to the first team. So, for me it was all about the next step, scholarship then pro contract.

I broke into the first team, which definitely made me more grounded because I appreciate the little things; I’ve had to work hard to get to where I am. I didn’t get a lot of money when I was 17, I’ve had to work hard for my contract whereas players at Chelsea and top teams get a lot of money when they’re younger. It’s hard to stay level headed when you’re younger, so I definitely felt like it kept me humble and made me appreciate the little things.

Players at the top clubs, they almost start in a luxurious environment. Do you feel grateful having seen the raw side of the game as well and having gone through an academy like Exeter that may not have the same luxuries?

Yeah, I remember when I went to Brentford, I was like oh my god this gym is decent, and I spoke to all the lads and they were like what you on about? Where I come from in Exeter we ate in the cafeteria, there was a little square bit as big as this changing room now. I think you just appreciate little things, when you get to the top you don’t take it for granted you know, like the training ground. 

There are obviously so many highs and lows that come with a career. Was there ever a time when you thought a career like this wouldn’t become a reality?

No, I had always put my eggs in one basket. I remember saying to my mum, don’t worry I’ll look after you when I’m older. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I always thought I was going to play football but if I didn’t, I always thought I would land on my feet. I put all my eggs in one basket with football really and luckily it paid off. 

Did experiencing a first team environment lower down the leagues help you grow up fast, with it being so raw and real? You would have seen how football is about paying the bills rather than living a life of luxury perhaps…

Yeah, I think the transition from youth team football to first team football, that’s when I realised it wasn’t about your development. Obviously you wanted to improve and stuff like that but if you lost in the youth team it didn’t matter, they just wanted you to improve. When I started to play in the first team, I then realised you’ve got to win because you’re fighting for food on the table. So that’s really when my mindset changed – when I got into the first team and saw that its not just a hobby, it’s a job. 

You probably take a bit of a battering along the way from big tackles to boggy pitches, its not like the cliché of a cold Tuesday night in Stoke, it's far beyond that isn’t it?

I remember going on loan to Weston-Super-Mare … we played at some bad, bad stadiums and that’s no disrespect but compared to the pitches I play on now you could eat your dinner off the pitches they are that good. There’s not anything out of place but I remember playing at Whitehawk away and I thought it was illegal to play on those pitches.

What about the characters you see along the way in the changing rooms, were there some sort of wild men in the Exeter days? What kind of experiences would you get in the dressing room? 

To be fair there was a close-knit group. Whilst at Brentford it was really different because we were all young players. Before, at Exeter, I was the youngest and it was all experienced pros, so you grow up quicker because you’re surrounded by grown men with families but yeah, in the changing rooms it’s always good energy.

Obviously, the south west is a beautiful part of the world but its kind of a small cluster of players that will go on to the bigger stages as you have. Were there players at a local level that you looked at and thought I want to emulate that kind of career?

Yeah, there was a guy from Exeter academy who’d come through called George Friend, I think he’s at Birmingham now, but I always heard the manager talking about him a lot. But yeah, I was only thinking the other day, I’m probably the only guy from Newton Abbot to play even in the Championship yet alone the Premier League and play for England so yeah, I’m not doing too bad!

What about your icons personally? Who were they and what was it about them that stood out for you?

In football I would probably say Thierry Henry. Away from football I’ve always liked Mohamed Ali and Mike Tyson. I think all of them had a presence. Mike Tyson was just lethal…just his interviews he was always so angry. They all have a presence about them. It was almost like a cockiness, but it was just because they believed in themselves. I think Thierry Henry, I was an arsenal fan growing up and just watching him play, I think he’s the best player to play in the Premier League.

In terms of off the pitch, who are your rocks and unsung heroes in your back story?

My family. And my girlfriend is supporting me hugely. With them, it’s kind of like a soundboard, I have a close-knit group of people that keep me level headed and positive and not beat myself up if I’ve had a bad game.

That circle of trust is so important, I’m sure you must have experienced the other side of football – where you’re going up through the leagues and your profile rises, more people come out of the woodwork and want to be around you. How do you manage that situation?

It’s weird you know, like people see me as being famous but I don’t see myself as being famous. So, like I still try to go to Sainsbury's to do my shopping. But I can’t anymore because too many people recognise me.

I always wonder with that – what is that experience like when you try and do something normal. Does it just become a selfie galore?

Yeah, there are times where you don’t want to be rude but sometimes you have your hands full and people want to have a photo with you, it may come across bad, but you literally just can’t have a photo. 

Fatherhood, huge congratulations, that’s incredible. Tell me about it – Has it given you a whole different purpose/outlook on things?

Yeah, I think for me I would always think about football when I go home from training just because I want to improve and get the best out of myself and make the most of my career, but sometimes there is too much pressure on myself. Now though, I come home and see screaming, changing nappies etc and I haven’t got time to think about missing chances in training. Just gotta take it day by day and not put pressure on myself and just enjoy the moment.

Scoring goals in the game, the fact that you can show your daughter in the future is an amazing thing to have…

Yeah and its good its not in black white [laughs]

On the pitch, what in your head space has made you continually rise to that next challenge?

I talked about me putting pressure on myself and it being a bad thing and a good thing because I never get complacent really, I don’t like complacency and being comfortable in any aspect of life, so I always push for more. And I just think like I don’t want to look back and have any regrets.

Everyday I try to get the most out of myself, I try to train smart, work hard to the best of my ability. Look after my body and I think that’s why I’m here today. I’ve definitely gotten mentally stronger. Just setting a goal, reaching it and then setting another one.

You took to the championship like it was a breeze, you made it look natural. Did it feel that way?

Yeah, when I first went there, I thought that it was easy but there is a lot of games in the Championship! 46 games, so yeah, maybe I got a little bit complacent and then I started putting pressure on myself because I was performing so well before and I found it easy. When I had a few bad games I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. Took me a couple years then I had that really good year where I scored a lot of goals. 

Brentford has been looked at as such a model of a club with good culture. What was it there that made that a club that does things right? 

At Brentford we were all the same age, everyone had come from a lower league team, places like France and all around the world really. There was also a certain wage structure, no superstars, everyone was on the same wages. We kind of like looked like a small team in the Championship by outsiders. No one really expected us to do anything, so it was kind of like proving people wrong and then after a few years in the Championship, people realised that Brentford aren’t a small team and now they are where they deserve to be in the Premier League.

How emotional a feeling is it when you think back to your childhood when you’re running round your garden pretending to be Thierry Henry and then scoring your first Premier League goal – got to be a mad feeling?

Yeah, I remember being in our family home and there was like a bay window we had and there was like a wall on the outside. Just outside the wall there was a ditch, and I used to come home with all my footballs. But I used to keep kicking the ball against the wall and my mum used to come out screaming. I used to set up the plant pots as cones so I could dribble in and out of them, knock 'em over, soil everywhere. But yeah, little things like that, I used to love football, always trying to kick bouncy balls around, all my memories are of just having a ball at my feet.

Fast forward to that Premier League goal... it must've been something else…

Yeah, it’s crazy but sometimes you keep going. I never really take a moment to kind of look back at how far I’ve come, I just keep pushing and pushing. Maybe a bit at the end I'll look back.

Better yet, an England goal … do you sit back and look at that journey in the football league to Weston to where you are scoring for England? The appearances you made and stuff is monumental.

When you put it like that and when I think it's not even that long ago, it feels like yesterday. I know it's cliché to say but I can remember for Weston, some games clear as day, never thought I would be playing in the Championship, Premier League and then playing for England. Obviously, I want to make more memories, achieve a lot more and play for England a lot more.

You’ve arrived now as a Premier League player. Do you reset your aspirations and think about the next goal straight away?

Yeah, obviously we played last night but already pushing you know for Sunday. Looking forward to getting back out on the pitch. Help the team, score goals. Yeah, just keep plugging away really.

Do you like football unlocking experiences like England, travelling the world etc?

Yeah, I remember when I went to Brazil with Exeter. I tell everyone I went to Brazil, and they’re like who with? And I say Exeter, and everyone is like WHAT?! That was really good, it opened my eyes. Stayed in like a Fluminense camp and it opened my eyes. You see kids out there barefoot running in the street with a ball, and you realise how lucky you are. Get the opportunity to travel around the world and play football. Really is the best job in the world.

Away from football, what’s the ideal day off look like? What else do you get a buzz off?

I quite like it when I have all my family and friends around. I think if we went out for a meal that would probably be the perfect day off. All my close people together.

Working with the likes of Under Armour. What is it about the shared headspace between you and the brand that makes it such a strong fit?

It’s different. I think I’m the only striker or attacker to wear the boots in the Premier League. I quite like that, I don't like to follow the crowd, I like to be my own person, I’m not too loud with things on social media etc. Like to do my own thing and I thought it was a really good project for both of us and the way they presented it to me sold it!

You like the idea of being with a brand that not everyone is with? Does set you apart in a wholesome way?

For a start you get looked after. There are so many players with other brands that don’t get a level of care that Under Armour has given me. With UA, there is a selective group and I feel like they show you a lot more love because of that. I love having the opportunity to grow together.

You've worked with the brand during a time where you have risen to the highest level. How does it feel to double down on that relationship and commit to a longer future together?

I believe in their approach and as you say, the journey I've been on they have shown faith with me throughout it. We've built a lot of trust in this time and they are a brand that empowers us as athletes. I am grateful for all we've done together so far, I am excited for what we do in the future!

It sounds like a perfect formula for a contemporary athlete. While the meeting of minds is powerful, how would you describe the product they're delivering?

I like the fact that I'm part of a small roster of players in the top flight wearing Under Armour. The boots are the tools of my trade and I need to be happy with them to play at the highest level, which I am. Under Armour is a brand that looks at the whole package, it's about quality over quantity. On the pitch, I need to be comfortable to perform and I have that with the boots. I do lots away from the pitch and they've supported me with the sleepwear and training wear to give me an edge with my training and recovery.

I think it's good to be taken out of your comfort zone but just experiencing different things, whether that is a photo shoot, seeing your image on a billboard – do you feel that way?

Yeah, I think that’s the aim, I want to be on a billboard back in Exeter. My stepbrother said we’re on a billboard in Torquay, so when I was back there, I was driving round Torquay to find myself and it was Marcus Rashford … I was like how can you not tell that’s not me? He was like "sorry mate I had a few beers…"

Looking forward, all the success you’ve had, all of the sorts of levels you smashed year on year, what kind of legacy would you like to create and leave?

I want to see myself as more than a footballer. I don’t know what everyone wants to do after their career. It doesn’t have to be football; I want to leave a mark on society. I feel like I could. I feel like treating people the way they want to be treated and how I would want to be treated. I like to think I’m a good person who can help people in the future as well as now.​

Ollie Watkins wears the “UA Accelerate Off-Pitch Hoodie”, “UA Accelerate Off-Pich jogger, “UA Rush Seamless Illusion” shirt and “UA Tribase Reign” footwear. Shop the Under Armour collection at Pro:Direct Soccer now.