'I'm still in shock' - Ollie Watkins' wife makes emotional admission after €60m Saudi Arabia transfer

Watkins has hit the ground running in the Saudi Pro League, scoring on his debut as Al-Hilal swept aside Al-Ahli 3-0. The £51 million summer signing from Villa came off the bench to head home late on, sealing a comfortable victory for Simone Inzaghi’s side.

While the England striker has quickly adapted to life on the pitch, his family is still adjusting to their sudden relocation. Watkins' wife, Ellie, recently took to social media to reveal the emotional toll of leaving Birmingham, admitting the life-changing move to Riyadh has left her reeling.

After six successful years at Villa Park, where Watkins became the club's all-time Premier League top scorer, the sudden transfer caught many by surprise. Ellie shared her candid reaction on TikTok, confirming that moving to the Middle East was not in her original plans for 2026.

"This was certainly not on my bucket list for 2026," she explained to her followers. "We have arrived in Saudi Arabia and I think I am still in shock, to be honest. It is amazing how quickly life can change, but that is the beauty of football. I am a very emotional person and it breaks my heart to close this incredible chapter."

@ellievwatkins

little life update ❤️ I know I have some villa fans on here who have always been so kind and supportive of me so thank you so much. Here’s to the next chapter ❤️

♬ original sound - 🎹꩜°⋆☆

Despite the emotional upheaval off the pitch, Watkins showcased his trademark professionalism on it. Introduced at half-time against Al-Ahli, the 30-year-old rose at the back post to convert Sultan Mandash’s delivery in the 86th minute, adding to earlier strikes from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Crysencio Summerville. Following the final whistle, Watkins expressed his delight with both his personal start and the overall quality of his new domestic division.

"I'm happy to be here," Watkins admitted. "Amazing start. I'm looking forward to many more games here at home. It's been a good start. Very good. The standard here today was as good as in the Premier League, to be honest. Very physical, demanding and the quality was top. Amazing.

"I didn't expect it to be like that when I first came onto the pitch. I checked out the pitch before the game. The atmosphere was amazing. The fans were calling my name. Amazing start."

Following his impressive cameo against Al-Ahli, Watkins was quickly rewarded with a promotion to the starting XI. The English attacker featured from the first whistle as Al-Hilal maintained their flawless start to the campaign with a routine 2-0 victory over Al-Shabab.

They now sit at the summit of the Saudi Pro League standings with a perfect 15 points from five matches. Watkins and his new team-mates will look to extend their winning streak when they return to action on Monday. Al-Hilal are currently preparing to face newly-promoted Neom in their next league test.

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