Ollie Watkins has described becoming Aston Villa’s all-time Premier League top scorer as an “unbelievable feeling”, Afrosport reports.
The England forward scored the only goal in a 1-0 win away at 10-man Bournemouth on Saturday to score his 75th top-flight goal for the Villains, taking him one goal above Gabriel Agbonlahor’s tally of 74 goals that stood for or seven years.
Watkins stated he had set his sights on breaking the record ever since he joined the club from Brentford in 2020.
“It’s something I had my eyes set on since I joined the club,” he told Villa TV.
“My first interview I can remember walking in, the day I signed at the training ground, seeing Dean Smith and that’s what I had my eyes set on.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling, to be honest.
“I’ve put in so much hard work, on and off the pitch, and to be at a club like Villa, seeing the players who have played here.
“Just to be in the history books with all the top players is something I’m really proud of.
“It’s something I’ll definitely celebrate and hold on to.
“I think Gabby can keep quieter now…”
The record breaker
pic.twitter.com/f9u49SftNB
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 10, 2025
Reacting to Watkins’ milestone, Villa boss Unai Emery said: “It’s fantastic and he deserves everything he is achieving.
“He’s always working for the team, working to help in everything: tactically, defensively and offensively, and he’s also scoring goals like he did today.
“It’s fantastic for him as a man – he’s a very good person. He’s humble, he’s a hard worker and his commitment with Aston Villa is massive.
“Everything we are doing, we are trying to be ambitious, and he’s always following us strongly in how we want to collectively achieve objectives and, individually, how he can progress and help us.”
The record breaker
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 10, 2025
Aston Villa’s victory took them level on 63 points with fifth-placed Chelsea in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification next season.
