Ollie Watkins Religion

What religion is Ollie Watkins?

Ollie Watkins is an English professional footballer who is a Christian. Ollie Watkins currently plays for the Premier League club Aston Villa, where he earns an annual salary of £6.76 million. Before this, he played with the English club Brentford and the EFL League Two club Exeter City, where he holds a remarkable record against Liverpool, notably scoring a “perfect” hat-trick (left foot, right foot, header) in a historic 7-2 win in October 2020.

Watkins’s personal achievements include winning the UEFA Europa League title with Aston Villa, being named Championship Player of the Year, and being named the best young player in the English Football League early in his career at Exeter City. Watkins also played for the England national team and was named to England’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be his very first World Cup appearance.

Early life and family

Oliver George Arthur Watkins was born on December 30, 1995, at Torbay Hospital in Torquay, Devon, to parents Steven and Delsi-May Watkins. Watkins grew up alongside his three brothers and sister. When he was young, his parents separated, leaving his mother, Delsi-May, to raise the five children as a single parent. Watkins is of Jamaican descent through his father’s side and professes to be a lifelong Arsenal supporter. Watkins was educated at South Dartmoor Community College in Ashburton, Devon. At age five, he joined his first local youth club before progressing through Buckland Athletic and Newton Town before joining Exeter City’s academy at age eight.

Career

Watkins joined Exeter City’s academy at the under-11 level and progressed to the senior side in 2014. He spent a loan spell at non-league club Weston-super-Mare in 2014–15 before returning to establish himself in Exeter’s first team. He scored 21 goals in 68 appearances across League Two and won the EFL Young Player of the Year award before attracting the attention of Championship clubs. In July 2017, Watkins joined Brentford for a reported fee of £1.8 million. He spent three seasons at the club, finishing as joint top scorer in the 2019–20 Championship with 26 goals in 49 appearances, a campaign that earned him the Championship Player of the Year award. His performances convinced Aston Villa to make him their record signing. In September 2020, Watkins joined Aston Villa for £28 million. He scored on his Premier League debut against Sheffield United and went on to hit double figures in each of his first five seasons at the club. His finest campaign came in 2023–24, when he scored 19 Premier League goals and 13 assists, winning the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award. In May 2025, he became Aston Villa’s all-time top Premier League scorer, overtaking Gabriel Agbonlahor’s record of 74 goals. In the current 2025–26 season, he has recorded 16 goals and three assists in 37 Premier League appearances.

On the international side, Watkins made his England senior debut in March 2021 and scored on his first appearance against San Marino. His defining international moment came at Euro 2024, when he came off the bench in the 81st minute of the semi-final against the Netherlands and scored a stunning 90th-minute winner, receiving a pass from fellow substitute Cole Palmer and firing a low strike past Bart Verbruggen to send England to their first major final on foreign soil. He was named Player of the Match for the performance. England went on to lose the final 2–1 to Spain. As of May 2026, Watkins has earned 20 caps for England, scoring six goals, and remains a key option for the national side heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life

Watkins married his longtime partner, interior designer Ellie Alderson, in 2025 after dating for seven years. Together, they have a son and a daughter. However, Watkins is a lifelong Arsenal supporter and counts Thierry Henry as his childhood idol.

In addition to playing football, Watkins partnered with KFC to start “The Kentucky Club” in Birmingham, an inclusive program that aims to give young people the skills, connections, and opportunities they need to secure their first job.