Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has said he wants to be England’s main man as his side look towards Wednesday’s Champions League match with Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich.
The fixture against the German powerhouses is a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final – won by Villa – and is the first top-flight European game at Villa Park since 1983.
“Everyone is fighting for a position on the pitch so I want to be the man to play but day in day out we have a good relationship,” Watkins said of potentially replacing Kane in the national shirt.
“We talk and when I’m in the camp I speak to him so there’s no animosity and I’m doing all I can to be on the pitch and so is he.
“It’s really exciting for me, for my journey and the club. It’s a long time since [there were] Champions League nights at Villa Park.
“These are the nights we all dreamt of, especially since I came here. Playing Champions League football for Villa is the best it can get really.
“I think we’ve all got to go out there and enjoy it. Not make the most of it, because that sounds like we’re underestimating ourselves, but just enjoy it because it’s so long since the club has been involved in a competition like this.
“For me personally I haven’t experienced Champions League football before so I want to enjoy it because this is what I dreamt of as a kid.”
Aston Villa opened their account away at Young Boys with a 3-0 victory while Bayern Munich beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in their first match.
The Champions League has adopted a new 36-team league table format this season, meaning every goal will count to the final standings.