BOSTON, June 21 (Xinhua) -- England forward Ollie Watkins said on Sunday he is ready to make an impact from the bench as England prepares for its Group L clash against Ghana on Tuesday.
Watkins, 30, remained on the bench as Thomas Tuchel's side opened its campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Arlington, Texas. England captain Harry Kane, coming off a prolific goalscoring season with Bayern Munich, scored twice in an impressive attacking display.
"I think with H (Harry Kane), I think his performances speak for himself. His goal record speaks for himself," Watkins said. "I don't think I can really emulate what he does. I think he's very unique. The way he plays the game, he's very intelligent and I can't play the game like him. So we have completely different strengths."
"I stick to what I know I can do and I don't try and copy or do anything like that. I'll just stick to my strengths," the Aston Villa striker added.
Watkins said his role as an impact substitute has given him a different perspective on how to influence matches.
"At the end of the day, I think the expectation for me is people don't see me play and obviously they see Harry playing. But I know what I can bring to the table," he said. "I watch the game when I'm on the bench. I can see the game opens up; it's a completely different game when you start a game of football than when you finish it. I've experienced that as a substitute."
"There are so many more opportunities when you come on. A lot of people are tired, they lose focus, and sometimes it can be better to be a substitute than to start the game."
Watkins came off the bench to score the decisive goal in England's 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semifinal in Germany.
"It's the best feeling to come on and change the game, and I'm hoping to do that again this tournament," he said. ■
