How To Torch Your Legacy In One Weekend by Ollie Watkins is a cautionary tale ghostwritten by the Aston Villa striker’s agent.
The story begins with a bit of background. Six years at Villa Park, 91 Premier League goals, double digits reached every season with only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland scoring more in that time.
An England dream realised in 2021, the nation’s hero in the Euro 2024 semi-final, and then in January 2025, a moment to underline his loyalty to Villa. Arsenal came calling, his boyhood club.
“That is the dream, to play for Arsenal one day,” Watkins had said while at Brentford in 2020, but he did not force a move. Had he done so, he would be a Premier League champion by now and would have worn the gold badge this weekend.
Staying put saw Watkins help Villa end their own trophy drought in May and edged him closer to club legend status. John McGinn got there, while Watkins was among a handful of others who took another step on that ladder to immortality.
