EXCLUSIVE
Ex-Tottenham chief ‘really wanted’ to sign Ollie Watkins from Exeter – before he was a striker
Tottenham legend David Pleat has revealed he wanted the club to sign Ollie Watkins.
Watkins, now starring as a striker for Aston Villa, began his senior career with then-League Two Exeter City.
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After scooping up the EFL Young Player of the Year award in 2017 with the Grecians, numerous top English clubs began to take notice.
In the end, Watkins signed for then-Championship side Brentford that summer.
But Watkins had also had Premier League interest - and former Tottenham manager and consultant scout Pleats says Tottenham were one of the clubs that were keen on him.
Joining talkSPORT’s Sunday Edition, said: “I was interested in Ollie Watkins when he was at Exeter.
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“Much before [he was a striker], when he was a box-to-box player, with excellent management of Paul Tisdale and Steve Perryman.
“That’s when I really wanted him to come to Spurs. He wasn’t a centre forward then.”
In the 2016/17 season, his last with Exeter, Watkins scored 16 goals and grabbed 13 assists in 52 appearances as a versatile forward.
The Grecians lost 2-1 to Blackpool in the play-off final with him starting up front - and Pleat, who had played a role in signing young talent Dele Alli from MK Dons, remembers the occasion.
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He continued: “He did play up front in a play-off final at Wembley where he didn’t play particularly well.”
That summer, Watkins joined Dean Smith’s Brentford for a fee of £1.8million.
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“When he went to Brentford he didn’t play up front at all,” Pleat continued. “He was wide left, or in midfield with lots of energy but he never showed that ability to play as a striker.”
Watkins then shifted to become an out-and-out striker, forming the Bees’ ‘BMW’ - the front line consisting of Said Benrahma, Watkins and Bryan Mbeumo under Thomas Frank.
After the Bees missed out on promotion, Watkins was sold Aston Villa, with him reuniting with former Bees boss Smith.
Aaron Lennon believes Spurs are 'miles away' from the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal
Pleat continued: “But Dean Smith anyway took the chance, Smith knew him well, and obviously for £28m Villa got a very good centre-forward.”
The England international has scored 70 goals for Villa in 171 appearances in all competitions.
He became a national hero at Euro 2024 when he scored a stunning late goal against Netherlands in the semi-finals.
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