2026 World Cup: Watkins Will Thrive as Kane's Understudy – Heskey

Former Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey says Ollie Watkins will be the ideal understudy to Harry Kane, predicting the forward will flourish as a late‑impact substitute at the 2026 World Cup.

Heskey has repeatedly championed Watkins as the main backup to Kane.

In an interview with The Standard, Heskey explained that Watkins is poised to make a significant contribution for England during the tournament.

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“You’ve got to be ready for that (to make an impact off the bench),” Heskey told The Standard.

“He has shown that before (scoring a 90th‑minute winner in the Euro 2024 semi‑final against the Netherlands). He brings something different that defenders don’t like. So he brings you in, you’re running down the side, and they don’t like turning.”

“So he’s got to be ready, and he’s got to be aware of what he’s coming into and be ready for that. Because he’s going to play a massive role.”

England will play their final warm‑up match against Costa Rica on Wednesday night before opening the tournament against Croatia on June 17.

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Watkins is a club legend at Aston Villa. He is the club’s all‑time leading Premier League goalscorer and has recently joined the exclusive “100 Club” with over 100 goals in all competitions.

He has scored double‑digit league goals in six consecutive seasons.

In addition to his clinical finishing, Watkins has been a key creative force, topping the Premier League assist charts in previous campaigns.