With the 2nd round of the Champions League just around the corner, Aston Villa striker Watkins looks ahead to the big game against Bayern Munich and shares his thoughts and feelings in his pre-match conference.
Talking about the Champions League stage, Watkins said: "The Champions League is undoubtedly the biggest stage, and everyone is looking forward to showing themselves on this stage. However, the competition in the Premier League is also fierce, and we are facing strong title contenders such as Manchester City and Arsenal, who have shown great strength. And playing against Bayern is a brand new experience and I'm looking forward to it."
On Bayern striker Kane, Watkins spoke highly of him: "Kane undoubtedly gets the respect he deserves. There's a reason he's broken all sorts of records and scored so many goals. There's a reason he's being praised, and he's getting the praise he deserves. He's put in a lot of hard work over the years to achieve these things."
Asked if Villa can be consistent in the Premier League and Champions League, Watkins said, "I think it's something we were preparing for last year when we played in Europe. Playing in the Premier League is different to playing in Europe and last year it was a completely new experience for us. But we're ready, we have a trusted coach who has been through everything in Europe and he's got us focused on the next game."
On the question of whether breaking down the Bayern goal would make him a hero, Watkins said, "I don't think it matters who scores as long as we score. These are the nights we dream about, especially since I came to Villa. Playing in the Champions League for Villa is the best and I think we should all go and enjoy it. It's not about making the most of the opportunity, it's about enjoying games like this because the club hasn't played in a competition like this for a long time. For me personally, I haven't played a Champions League game before so I want to enjoy it, it's something I dreamed of as a kid."
Speaking about the atmosphere, Watkins said, "We experienced the European atmosphere last season and it will be better this time playing in the Champions League. I know what the atmosphere was like last year and hopefully it will be even better this year."
On the question of whether the Villa players will have stage fright, Watkins said, "I don't think so. We have players who have played in the Champions League who have that experience. We have an experienced coach who has won a lot of trophies and has taken the team to a lot of Champions League games. We have confidence in the coach and the team and when we play our best soccer we can put anyone to the test. The fans will be excited and so will we as players and it's important to keep the excitement and anticipation going rather than creating pressure on ourselves."
Watkins also revealed what he was thinking when he joined Villa: "When I joined Villa I never thought we would be a Champions League club. When Emery came here we had just lost to Newcastle and were at the bottom of the table. I never thought we'd end that season in seventh place and then get fourth last season. Emery has completely transformed this club and the players, it's truly incredible."
Speaking about Emery's recipe, Watkins said, "Emery is very demanding and focused on his players. He knows what he wants and puts in a lot of effort. He respects every team, no matter where the opponent is ranked, and I think that's probably his biggest strength. He respects everyone and knows that opponents are capable of causing problems."
Finally, when asked if he would like to take Kane's place in the starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup, Watkins said, "That's a difficult question to answer. Everyone is fighting for a place on the field and I want to be the one who plays. But we have a good relationship and we talk. When I was in the England team I would talk to him. There is no animosity between us, I am doing everything I can to get playing time and so is he."
