Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins has spoken about signing his new contract with the club, and has given the reasons behind his decision to commit his long-term future.
Villa confirmed on Friday that the 27-year-old had signed a new, long-term deal, believed to be a five-year agreement, ending speculation over his future and a long wait for this announcement.
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Having been such a pivotal part of our progression since he arrived three years ago, Watkins continues to play a key role and is continuously improving under Unai Emery.
As a core member of the squad, it’s brilliant news to see him put pen to paper on a new contract, and Watkins has revealed the main reasons behind his decision, with the influence of Emery undoubtedly an important factor.
“I’m really happy,” he told VillaTV. “I feel like this is the best place for me to play my football; I’ve still got a lot to achieve here.
“I feel like I’ve had a really good connection with the fans since I’ve come here. From day one they’ve been really good with me; we’ve had highs and lows but that’s football.
“You can see the direction of the club, and I want to be a part of that.
“He [Emery] was massive in my decision to extend my contract. I’ve improved so much under him in a short space of time, and over the long term I feel like I’ve got different levels I can hit. He’s the main factor of why I’ve signed.
“We’re only getting started. The boss has been here for a year and you’ve seen the form and progression of players. There are other levels we can get to. Hopefully we can push on and get to the Champions League spots – that’s the aim.
“From day one, since I’ve come in, I feel like I’ve done well. I’ve had some highs and some lows like any player at any club. I feel like I’m on a high now and it’s only going to keep going up.
“I’ve got some targets I’m going to hit: I’m going to break Gabby’s record with the goals, I want to win a trophy. I feel like I can do that here and that’s why I’ve stayed. Hopefully I can repay the fans by achieving them and bring silverware home and score more goals.”
It’s great to hear Watkins speak about the club, fans and Emery in such high regard, and he’s evidently very ambitious and feels he can achieve his objectives with us which is important for our ambitions and objectives.
Further, it also says a lot about the project and set-up at Villa now as we continue to show signs of being able to compete at a higher level, and with fundamental players signing long-term deals and believing in what we’re building, we can continue to strengthen around them and raise the level further.
Aside from his goals and assists, Watkins has been integral to how we play under Emery with his work in both phases of the game, and he’ll hopefully fire us towards silverware this season, as well as up the Premier League table as we await to see what we can achieve this year and beyond.