Ollie Watkins has opened up about being left out of the England squad, admitting it was "fair" but that the snub gave him the "fuel" to reignite his goalscoring form for Aston Villa.

When England manager Thomas Tuchel named his March squad, Watkins was in a rut—managing just two goals in 12 games from January to March. Since then, the 30-year-old has been unstoppable, netting five goals in five matches, including a brace against Sunderland and an assist to boot.

"I had no animosity towards him," Watkins said of Tuchel. "What he said to me was personal. I needed that time away to get that fire back in my belly."

That fire is burning bright as Villa prepare for a massive Europa League semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest tonight. Unai Emery's side have been dominant in Europe, winning all five knockout matches this season and scoring 13 goals along the way.

For Watkins, the prospect of lifting silverware is a powerful motivator. "I've never lifted a trophy," he admitted. "This could be more special than our play-off win in 2019. We need to do everything we can to get to the end. It's not going to be easy."

Villa are hoping to avoid a repeat of their last European semi-final, where they fell to Olympiakos in the Conference League. "We were playing such good football, but we didn't really turn up," Watkins recalled. "This year our form has been amazing in Europe. We've learned a lot, and we have that togetherness. We need to pull together with that experience and go one more."