Ollie Watkins
Active- Current or last club
- Al-Hilal
- Country (nationality)
- England
- League or competition
- Saudi Pro League
- Position
- Forward
- How is the religion known?
- Reported by reputable media
- Last checked
- 7 October 2026
We list a player’s religion only where they have spoken about it publicly or it has been reliably reported, and we link our sources. If something is wrong, or a player’s views have changed, please tell us and we will review it.
Table of Contents
What religion is Ollie Watkins?
Ollie Watkins is an English professional footballer who is a Christian, though he generally keeps his personal beliefs and religious practices private. Born and raised in Newton Abbot, Devon, Watkins grew up within England’s broad cultural landscape, where Christianity remains the historically dominant religious heritage. Consequently, while the consensus remains that he practices Christianity, this is an assumption supported by his upbringing in the United Kingdom rather than explicit public statements or ministry.
Ollie Watkins plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and the England national team. Previously, he played for the clubs Exeter City, Brentford, and Aston Villa, helping the latter end a 44-year wait for a European trophy by winning the UEFA Europa League in 2026. Among his other achievements, Watkins became Aston Villa’s all-time record Premier League goalscorer with 91 goals and won the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award in 2024.
Ollie Watkins is currently under a contract that reportedly runs until June 2029, following his £50 million move to Al Hilal in 2026. According to various sources, his base pay at Al Hilal stands around €327,000 per week and about €17 million per year. These figures exclude add-ons, bonuses, and commercial deals.
Early life and youth career
Ollie Watkins was born on 30 December 1995 in Torquay, Devon, England, to parents Steven and Delsi-May Watkins. He is of Jamaican descent and has four siblings. Watkins was educated at South Dartmoor Community College in Ashburton. He began playing football at age six with Buckland Athletic, followed by a one-season spell with Newton Town before an initial trial with Exeter City at age nine ended in rejection. He formally entered the Exeter City youth academy at the under-11 level in 2004 and went on to represent the Devon County Football Association.
After recording 30 goals for Exeter City’s under-18 squad during the 2013–14 campaign, he signed a scholarship agreement before officially signing his first professional contract in April 2014. A childhood supporter of Arsenal, he has publicly cited forward Thierry Henry as his primary footballing idol.
Exeter City
Watkins made his senior competitive debut for Exeter City in May 2014, before securing his first professional appearance of the 2015–16 campaign during a Devon derby victory against Plymouth Argyle that December. To gain senior experience, he completed a developmental loan spell with National League South side Weston-super-Mare, where he recorded 10 goals in 24 appearances.
His breakthrough at Exeter City came during the 2016–17 season, when he compiled 16 goals and 13 assists across 52 appearances. This run included his first professional hat-trick during a 4–1 victory over Newport County, earning him both the EFL League Two Young Player of the Month award for January 2017 and the EFL Young Player of the Year award. He concluded his tenure with Exeter City, having recorded 26 goals in 78 appearances across all competitions.
Brentford
In July 2017, Brentford signed Watkins on a four-year contract for a reported fee of approximately £1.8 million. He made an immediate impact, debuting on the opening day of the 2017–18 Championship season against Nottingham Forest and scoring his first goal three days later in a 3–1 EFL Cup win over AFC Wimbledon. He developed into a primary attacking threat over a three-season tenure, culminating in a highly productive 2019–20 campaign. Deployed as a central striker under manager Thomas Frank, Watkins scored 26 EFL Championship goals to finish as the division’s joint-top goalscorer and secure the EFL Championship Player of the Year award as Brentford reached the Championship play-off final.
Aston Villa
In September 2020, Aston Villa signed Watkins from Brentford for an initial £28 million fee, which stood as a club-record acquisition at the time. He made an immediate impact, scoring a hat-trick against reigning champions Liverpool during his full Premier League debut that October. Over a six-season tenure at Villa Park, Watkins established himself as one of the English top flight’s most consistent forwards, hitting double-figure goal tallies in every single campaign. His individual peak arrived during the 2023–24 season, when he recorded a career-best 19 goals and 13 assists in 37 Premier League appearances, earning the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award and guiding Aston Villa to UEFA Champions League qualification.
During his time with the Midlands club, Watkins overtook Gabriel Agbonlahor to become Aston Villa’s all-time leading goalscorer of the Premier League era. He also played an instrumental role in securing a continental trophy during the club’s successful UEFA Europa League campaign. By the conclusion of his tenure in August 2026, Watkins had compiled 108 goals in 278 appearances across all competitions for Aston Villa before completing a multi-million-pound transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.
Al Hilal
In August 2026, Watkins finalized a permanent transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal from Aston Villa, with the Riyadh-based side identifying him as a high-profile replacement for departing forward Karim Benzema. Prior to the agreement, Watkins had declined a four-year contract extension at Villa Park to signal his intention to move abroad, a period that included missing a Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion before he later apologized to his teammates for the disruption.
Aston Villa rejected multiple initial proposals from Al-Hilal, ultimately accepting a finalized bid once they secured young forward Brian Madjo to reinforce their frontline options. Upon completing his medical examinations in the final days of the summer transfer window, Watkins signed a multi-year contract with Al-Hilal, reported to guarantee an annual salary of approximately €17 million.
International career
Watkins made his senior international debut for the England national team on 25 March 2021, appearing as a second-half substitute and scoring his first international goal during a 5–0 FIFA World Cup qualification victory against San Marino.
He was subsequently selected for the final England squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. During the tournament, Watkins delivered a defining international milestone on 10 July 2024, coming off the bench to score a dramatic 90th-minute winning goal in a 2–1 semi-final victory over the Netherlands, securing England’s progression to the European Championship final.
On 22 May 2026, Watkins was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Personal life
Watkins and his partner Ellie Alderson got married on May 18, 2025, after being together since 2018. The couple have two children together.
Watkins’ parents divorced when he was a child. Ollie and his siblings were raised by their mother Delsi.
