Gareth Southgate hailed Ollie Watkins' "fairy tale" England debut after the Aston Villa striker scored in a 5-0 win against San Marino in Thursday's opening World Cup qualifier. He has scored 12 times in his first campaign with the Premier League club, earning a maiden England call-up and a debut against minnows San Marino at Wembley. Set up by Phil Foden's pass, Watkins scored with his first shot in an England shirt with a cool low finish. England boss Southgate recognised the significance of the moment, saying: "The first thing you saw was the reaction from the rest of the team. Valuable lessonsWatkins was the stand-out story on a comfortable night for England, who would have won by far more if not for a fine display from San Marino keeper Elia Benedettini.

Source: News 24 March 26, 2021 05:15 UTC