Danny Mills has told talkSPORT (10/11/20 at 8:50 pm) that players like Aston Villa summer signing Ollie Watkins and Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin are ‘exactly the same’ because they do the simple things really well.
Whilst Calvert-Lewin is now becoming a regular in England’s top-flight, Villa’s flying machine only made the switch from the Championship a few months ago, and just like his counterpart on Merseyside, they are both scoring goals for fun.
Calvert-Lewin’s goalscoring run has seen him also become an England international, whilst six-goals Watkins will be hoping to share the same St George’s Park training pitch as him down the line.
Nonetheless, former England defender Mills was asked which new players have impressed him in the Premier League, as he lauded Watkins for how he has settled into his new home.
“I think Ollie Watkins has done incredibly well,” said Mills. “He’s come into the Premier League and he’s scoring goals. He’s bright and sharp.
“People go on about price tags and how it can affect people. Sometimes it has the opposite effect and it can really give you a boost in confidence. And that’s what it’s all about. ‘Hang on, I am worth £20, 30, 40 million. You know wow. People love me. I am good’. And it can give you a huge boost in confidence.
“Of course, he has got a goal early on. But he has fantastic ability. He has an eye for goal. We have seen that in the Championship. It doesn’t matter what division you are in. If you are a goalscorer, you are a goalscorer. He’s got pace as well and great spatial awareness, so I am not surprised.
On Watkins doing the simple things very well: “Do what you are good at. Calvert-Lewin is exactly the same. He’s not being asked to do things he cannot do. Just do what you are good at. That’s why you have been brought in.”
Last season, Villa were missing that one player who would be able to gobble up everything thing star man Jack Grealish was feeding them.
The likes of the now sold Mbwana Samatta, Keinan Davis and the currently injured Wesley didn’t showcase the qualities Watkins is displaying, such as being clinical in the final third, being aggressive off the ball and finding themselves in the right place at the right time.
All in all, whilst Everton have hit a blip, both the Toffees and Villa’s attacking players have made a healthy start to the season and made their fans think about what might just happen this season.
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