Ollie Watkins would never have dreamed of occasions like tomorrow just a couple of years ago.
When Villa were beaten 4-0 at Newcastle in the final match before Unai Emery walked through the door and sat just above the Premier League relegation zone, the notion of hosting Bayern Munich in the Champions League was pure fantasy.
“He has completely turned us around as players and the club. Full credit to him and us as players, obviously. But I would never have dreamed of it, to be honest. “It is such a lovely place to be, this club, especially as a player but also for the fans and for people outside this club to see the stature of it, improving and getting better, every day and each week.”
But what was clear from the tone set by both Emery and Watkins yesterday was the desire to write their own story. “The fans will be excited and we as players will be but it’s more excitement and looking forward to it than pressure.”Asked what has been his secret to turning the club’s fortunes around: “You have probably seen from his interviews he is very demanding and focused.
The presence of Harry Kane in the Bayern team provides an interesting sub-plot, with the Villa striker on the same pitch as the man he hopes to one day displace in the Three Lions’ starting XI.
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