Aston Villa skipper John McGinn has singled out Ollie Watkins for praise ahead of the club's big Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
Watkins netted his fourth goal in seven games in Villa's 2-2 draw with Ipswich on Sunday and will lead the line again when Villa Park hosts its first-ever Champions League match.
Speaking to Betano, McGinn hailed Watkins' work rate and placed him among the best around in his position.
"Ollie Watkins' work rate every single day in training or in matches is immense," he said.
"His attitude and commitment to everything he does, whether he’s in a good place or bad, doesn’t stop.
"That’s why he doesn’t stop improving and has become one of the best strikers in the world.
"The expectations of him have risen and he's met every single one of them, he's such an important player for Aston Villa."
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Unai Emery's team got off to the perfect start in their Champions League campaign, as they swept aside Young Boys with a 3-0 win on matchday one.
Bayern will present a much tougher test at this level, but McGinn is convinced that his team can make a real impact in the competition this season.
"The expectation in the dressing room is that we finish in the top eight and go all the way", the Scotsman added.
"We know what we are capable of and that we belong at this level. I think there was more expectation and pressure on us to get far in the Europa Conference League last season.
"We embraced that we were the favourite to go and win that tournament and we couldn’t deliver on that. That experience has only made us stronger to go further this year.
"Playing Bayern Munich and Juventus at Villa Park will be special, I cannot wait for that atmosphere. I'm glad we've been able to deliver that to our supporters."
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