Berlin, July 11 (V7N) - Until the 90+1 minute of England’s semifinal against the Netherlands, Ollie Watkins remained a substitute for Harry Kane, struggling to make his mark on the team. But with the final whistle, the 28-year-old Aston Villa striker emerged as a national hero, securing England's spot in the final with a dramatic 2-1 victory.

As Watkins celebrated after breaking through the Dutch defense in the dying moments of a tightly contested match, his face showed sheer joy mixed with disbelief. This wasn't part of the script, but on Wednesday night in Berlin, the unexpected happened, and Watkins became the star of a story that will be remembered for generations.

From Understudy to Hero

Until Watkins’ decisive play, the match seemed destined for extra time, mirroring England’s previous knockout games in the tournament. With the score tied at 1-1, thanks to a Harry Kane penalty and a powerful strike from Xabi Simons in the first half, England manager Gareth Southgate made a bold move. He substituted Kane for Watkins in the 81st minute.

This substitution shifted the match's dynamics. Watkins, with fresh energy, helped England press high, forcing the Netherlands to lose possession. This pressure paid off when Cole Palmer delivered a simple pass to Watkins, who, with De Vrij close behind, turned and fired a low shot from a tight angle into the far corner.

“Unbelievable, I’ve been waiting for that moment for weeks. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get where I am today. I swear on my kids’ lives that I told Cole ‘we are going to come on today, and you are going to set me up,’” Watkins said post-match.

Having had an impressive season with Aston Villa, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, Watkins found it difficult to break into the England first team, with Kane and Brentford’s Ivan Toney ahead of him. On any other night, Toney might have been the choice against the Dutch, but Southgate opted for a different approach.

Watkins was an unknown challenge for the Netherlands, having played only 21 minutes in the Euro during a 1-1 draw with Denmark in the group stage. Despite limited playtime, the Torquay-born forward’s confidence didn’t waver when thrust into such a critical match.

Leading Villa to their first-ever Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, Watkins reached double figures in league goals and assists by February, the first Villa player to do so since Dwight Yorke in the 1995/96 season.

“I just have to be ready when called upon. That’s the mindset I’ve got. You’ve seen it in the Champions League – Joselu didn’t play much across the season but he came on and scored two very important goals. Real Madrid wouldn’t have won it without him,” Watkins remarked in an interview with The Guardian before England’s first group stage match against Serbia.

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