Watkins was fined so heavily at a non-league club that he paid for an incredible gift

OLLIE WATKINS paid his dues at Weston-super-Mare – and helped fund an end-of-season boys' trip to Spain.

Aston Villa frontman Watkins, 28, will shoot Manchester United today.

But his ten goals while on loan from Exeter to Weston during the 2014/15 season helped keep the club in the Conference South.

But the teenage striker had a weakness: timekeeping.

His former boss Ryan Northmore revealed: 'He was often late as he was usually traveling from Exeter.

'The boys didn't give him any leeway. He said, 'There was traffic on so and so', but it was, 'Whatever, £5 in the pot'.

'He's missing stuff. Because he would then try to defend himself, the boys would get a kangaroo court and give him a double fine.

“By the end of the season there was enough money in it to arrange a trip to Spain and Ollie went with them.

“He ended up paying for about four of them to come along!

“It was a big responsibility that an 18-year-old would become our number 9, but he was completely ready for it.”

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After leaving Exeter in 2017, Watkins joined Brentford and spent three years with West London.

He signed for Aston Villa in 2020 and has since played 149 games.

The forward also has nine England caps and three international goals to his name.