OLLIE Watkins last-gasp wonder goal against the Dutch sent the Three Lions to the final of Euro 2024.
If you were wondering how the England ace got his start in football, here’s everything you need to know about his parents.
England hero Oliver George Arthur Watkins was born in Torquay, Devon to parents Steven and Delsi-May on December 30, 1995.
His parents divorced when he was a child — Ollie and his siblings were raised by their mother Delsi.
Not much is known about his dad Steven, as he prefers to keep his personal information out of the public spotlight.
Ollie has three brothers, Richie, Dale and Jordan, and a sister named Charlotte.
In 2021, speaking about how her “football mad” boy got into the beautiful game, Delsi told the Times: “We used to take the kids out, and there was a little machine where you put a 2p in, and a little rubber ball fell out.
“He’d stand there and you’d drop it, and he’d kick it. He never used to miss. He was only nine months old.
“And he never wavered from saying, whenever I asked him what he wanted to do when he was older, ‘I want to be a professional footballer.’
“He used to do a bit of skateboarding but that didn’t last long. He used to do BMX-ing but that didn’t last long either.
“And every time he went out, he used to come back with a blinking football.
“I’ve got a photograph somewhere of about 20-odd footballs that Oliver collected out playing.”
And speaking about Ollie calling to inform her of his first call-up to the national side, she added: “I’m glad he did when I was in the car, because I let out the biggest scream.
“If I’d have let that out in the street people would have said, ‘Find that woman a mental hospital!’
“I still can’t believe it. I’m immensely proud.”
Days before Ollie finally scored a last-gasp winner for the Three Lions on July 10, his mother was filmed launching an X-rated rant in a pub about her son’s lack of playing time.
[Ollie] never wavered from saying, whenever I asked him what he wanted to do when he was older, ‘I want to be a professional footballer’
Delsi-May Watkins
She said: “On Wednesday, [my wish is] that they finally let my son come on the f***ing pitch.”
Delsi got her wish and Ollie went on to score the crucial goal.
And she could be seen in the stands celebrating with her son after his 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands in the Euro2024 quarter-finals.
The super-sub striker replaced Harry Kane and only made four touches after being brought on with 81 minutes on the the clock — one of which was to fire the ball into the bottom corner.
Ollie had a premonition he was going to score and revealed in his post-match press conference that he told Cole Palmer at half-time they were going to combine and score, before they went on to do so in spectacular fashion.
He said: “I swear on my life, my kids’ life, I said to Cole Palmer: we’re coming on today and you’re gonna set me up.”
The Aston Villa forward had played just 20 minutes at the Euros before he came off the bench against the Dutch.
The former Exeter and Brentford man’s mother works as a professional.
Her stage name is Ruby Washington.
Delsi’s band, The Superstitions, are a popular booking for weddings and events across Southwest England.
In 2021, she told the Times: “That’s all I’ve ever done really, be a professional singer.
“I got offered a recording contract when I was younger.
“I had photographs taken and when they came back they all had Ruby Washington underneath them.
“I said, ‘That’s not my name,’ and they said, ‘Well, that’s what we want you to be.’
“The contract was the same. ‘Your life will be like this, you can’t do that . . .’ So I didn’t sign. But the name stuck.”
