Ollie Watkins was 'fuming' with Marcus Rashford decision before Man Utd approach

Manchester United transfer target Ollie Watkins admitted that he was 'fuming' after being left out of the Aston Villa starting line-up in place of Marcus Rashford. Watkins, 29, was only a substitute for both of Villa's Champions League quarter-final clashes with Paris Saint-Germain last season.

Now the England international could be team-mates with Rashford again. United are making a concerted effort to sign Watkins from Villa, who'd want around £60million.

Unai Emery had taken a liking to Rashford after signing him on loan from United during the January transfer window and the Villa manager thought that he was better suited to starting against PSG. Villa ultimately went out, losing 5-4 on aggregate, and Rashford failed to score in either game.

Watkins, meanwhile, was given just 25 minutes across the two legs, as he spent much of the contest on the bench. The striker couldn't hide his frustration in the days following Emery's decision and responded in the best way possible.

Four days after the second leg, Watkins bagged a hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing at home to Newcastle and staked his claim. Post-match, the 29-year-old spoke to Sky Sports and revealed that he let know Emery know his feelings.

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"I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games, so I'm not going to lie - I was fuming I wasn't playing," Watkins admitted. "I let him know that. He's the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I'm not one of the players happy to sit on the bench.

"It's something I haven't experienced before, missing out on the biggest stage. You always want to play, especially in the Champions League. Me and a few others are disappointed we didn't start the game, but like I said, it's the manager's decision... Rather than let it hinder you, you have to use that anger as motivation."

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Emery took ownership of his decision and explained: "It was my selection, tactically. We are adding more competition, more matches and we are hitting another level. Of course, Watkins is very, very important for us. He's scoring goals for us, and last Saturday, his impact was fantastic.

"On Tuesday [against PSG], it was difficult for him to read the match and show his power. But he worked, he is ready. I am so, so happy with him, and I want to win tomorrow [away to Manchester City]. As players, they can be sad at not playing or angry at not playing - I prefer angry."

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