Ollie Watkins says England subs vital for World Cup

Ollie Watkins says England will depend on substitutes at the upcoming World Cup. He scored the third goal after coming off the bench in a 3‑0 friendly win over Costa Rica in Orlando. The Aston Villa forward joined Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers, all of whom entered the match from the bench. Their introductions lifted England’s intensity as the Costa Rica side tired late in the game. Thomas Tuchel is expected to rely on bench players throughout the tournament. Watkins, who sees himself as Harry Kane’s main backup, noted that games open up after the 60‑70 minute mark and fresh legs can change the outcome. Watkins will feature in a closed‑door friendly against Miami FC before the squad takes a short break and moves to Kansas City. England’s opening World Cup match is against Croatia in Texas on 17 June, followed by games with Ghana and Panama.