Unai Emery has revealed Ollie Watkins accepted he made a mistake by refusing to play for Aston Villa against Brighton, with the head coach also admitting he shed a tear while saying goodbye to the striker.
Watkins missed Villa’s disastrous 4-0 Premier League defeat at the Amex Stadium while his future was being negotiated with Al-Hilal.
Emery refused to explain the absence immediately after the game, instead telling reporters to ask Watkins himself.
The striker subsequently returned to training and apologised to his Aston Villa teammates.
Emery has now provided the clearest explanation yet.
Unai Emery confirms Ollie Watkins mistake
Speaking ahead of Monday’s game against Arsenal, Emery confirmed Watkins had acknowledged his mistake over the Brighton fixture.
BirminghamLive reporter John Townley relayed Emery’s comments, with the Villa boss also revealing how emotional their farewell became.
“He’s a fantastic guy. I told him ‘bye’ with a huge hug and a small tear.”
It brings greater clarity to an incident which had threatened to sour the end of an outstanding Villa career.
When Watkins was absent at Brighton, Emery had responded to questions by saying reporters should ask the striker. ReadAstonVilla covered the uncertainty surrounding his absence before Watkins returned and apologised to the squad.
Watkins is now expected to arrive in Riyadh ahead of completing his Al-Hilal transfer.
Villa accepted an offer worth €58.4million plus €2m in add-ons earlier this week, bringing Watkins’ six-year spell at Villa Park towards its conclusion.
Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding his final week, Emery’s comments suggest the pair have parted on good terms.
