Watkins talks up Kane rivalry before Champions League clash with Bayern

Kane is the country’s all-time record goalscorer and a guaranteed starter. But in Dortmund three months ago Watkins replaced Kane to score a superb, instinctive 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands to send England into the Euro 2024 final

Ollie Watkins (centre) shows off his skills before Aston Villa’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday

The question related to Harry Kane and the easy answer was the equivalent of a tap-in but instead Ollie Watkins paused before offering a candid assessment of the nuanced dynamic at play. For Watkins, Kane is his England captain, a teammate but also, to put it bluntly, the guy he is trying to displace. 

Kane, of course, is the country’s all-time record goalscorer and a guaranteed starter. But in Dortmund three months ago Watkins replaced Kane to score a superb, instinctive 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands to send England into the Euro 2024 final.