Ollie Watkins Apologizes to Aston Villa Teammates After Refusal to Play

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

Watkins, Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer, made himself unavailable for the game against Brighton. Emery did not gloss over the mistake, but made it clear the squad had moved on after the striker fronted up in 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 that the incident will not cloud how Watkins is remembered at Villa Park.

The 30-year-old is expected in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal, drawing a line under a four-year spell in which he became the face of Villa’s resurgence. Signed from Brentford for £28m in 2020, Watkins hit 91 Premier League goals and 108 in all competitions, numbers that place him firmly in club folklore.

Emery’s tone told its own story. This was not a manager simply waving off a big asset. This was a goodbye to a dressing-room pillar.

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

The emotion, though, sits alongside ruthless planning. Villa are already primed to move on. The club are set to bring in Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson for £65m as Watkins’ replacement, a major outlay that signals no intention of slowing down.

“But now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson,” Emery added, drawing a clear line between eras.

Watkins leaves as the man who dragged Villa into the Premier League elite. Jackson arrives with the task of keeping them there.