Leeds United are one of the clubs interested in signing Exeter City forward Ollie Watkins this summer.
Ollie Watkins has received plenty of praise from a former boss
According to The Sun (print edition, pg 61, 21th May), Leeds United will have to pay £4 million if they hope to sign Exeter City striker Ollie Watkins following his tremendous season with the League Two side.
Despite his 15 goals and seven assists in the league this term, it would hardly be a surprise if some Whites fans are hoping the club consider other targets before they pay a significant amount for a player who has been plying his trade in the fourth tier – especially after Kemar Roofe’s bright, yet somewhat unspectacular first year at Elland Road following his move from Oxford United.
But perhaps the assessment of Watkins’ credentials from former Weston-super-Mare boss Ryan Northmore should alleviate some of the fans’ concerns.
Watkins spent most of the 2014-15 season with the club, and Northmore has not only tipped the 21-year-old for bright things, but he also suggested that his attitude is exemplary.
Watkins is attracting Leeds’ attention
“It wasn’t that he [Watkins] was an outstanding player at that stage it was a case that he had a great attitude and was grateful of the opportunity he was given. He’d only played youth football so we were charged with helping get him playing senior football,” he told the Bristol Post.
“We wanted to help him gain the confidence at first-team level. It’s great to see what he’s done at Exeter – it’s been superb,” he added.
“He has a lot of talent, he could run with the ball superbly with both feet and could do the bread and butter stuff very well. His talent eventually shone through and it’s proven to be the case at Exeter.”
“Over the course of the seven or eight months he adapted and ended up doing very well. He will go on to better things just purely based on his talents and the grounding he has,” he would also suggest.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk
While some Leeds fans may not give much thought to what the old boss of a non-league side has to say about a player’s quality when it is a player on their radar, the comments about his attitude should please supporters.
It appears that he has the kind of attributes that will ensure that he gives everything when given a chance, which suggests that he would be a very positive addition to the Whites squad if they do decide to pursue a deal this summer, especially if he manages to replicate something like his goals and assists return from this campaign.
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