Loved-up England hero Ollie Watkins walks hand-in-hand with fiancee Ellie Alderson in Milan after romantic engagement
ENGLAND hero Ollie Watkins has been seen enjoying the sites of Milan with new fiancee Ellie Alderson.
Watkins, 28, revealed he had proposed to long-term partner Ellie in front of the mesmerising Lake Como in Italy on July 21.
The Aston Villa ace, whose late goal against the Netherlands sent the Three Lions into the Euro 2024 final, shared heartwarming pictures of him getting down on one knee the following day.
Watkins presented Ellie, 28, with a gorgeous diamond ring on a balcony overlooking the lake and alps.
With the couple wearing matching white outfits and surrounded by flowers in the sweet photos, Watkins captioned his post: “Future wifey!!”
And following the announcement, they have now been spotted taking in some of the stunning sites.
The pair swapped their white outfits for a more low-key look as they held hands during the walk.
Watkins was seen in a matching grey polo top and shorts combo, while Ellie wore jean shorts and a black top.
It seems they had been out for a spot of shopping too, with Ellie spotted holding a bag of Fugazzi perfume.
Despite being in another country, Watkins’ stock appears to have risen to that of a continental star after he was also seen posing for a picture with a group of fans.
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Ellie also took to Instagram to share a video of them together following the engagement, showing the couple beaming with happiness.
Watkins and interior designer Ellie have been in a relationship since 2018 and live together in Birmingham.
They have two children together – Amara, two, and one-year-old Marley.
Ellie was a regular sight in the stands in Germany for Euro 2024 as she supported Watkins, and it is the same at club level.
Former Exeter and Brentford star Watkins bagged 27 goals and 13 assists to help Unai Emery‘s Villa qualify for the Champions League.
It is the first time the club are in Europe’s top club competition since it’s rebrand to the Champions League, with their last season among the elite coming back in 1982/83.
That was one season after they won their maiden European title in Rotterdam by beating Bayern Munich 1-0 as Peter Withe scored the winner.
Watkins was not the only England star to reveal his engagement to their partner following the Euros, with West Ham‘s Jarrod Bowen proposing to Dani Dyer after three years together.
Inside humble Ollie Watkins’ remarkable rise from non-league to England’s Euro 2024 hero
NINE summers ago Ollie Watkins went on a lads’ holiday after helping to save Conference South side Weston-Super-Mare from relegation, writes Dan King.
Now he’s just fired England into the Euro 2024 final with a sensational 90th-minute winner.
And even helped Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League last season.
Watkins arrived on the Somerset coast as a teenaged striker on loan from League Two Exeter in December 2014.
His 10 goals in 24 league games were a big factor in stopping Weston from slipping into the sixth tier for the first time in their history – and in giving them something to celebrate on a post-season trip to Spain.
But it was also his workrate and attitude that earned him the respect of the dressing room, and helped him take the first significant steps on the road to stardom.
Ryan Northmore, boss of Weston at the time, said: “His goals saved the club from relegation. But he contributed much more than his goals, which is really important when you’re scrapping away for your lives.
“He wasn’t just sat at the top of the pitch waiting for the ball to come. He would roll his sleeves up and get involved in all aspects of the game.”
Days after joining, Watkins made an instant impact with an equaliser against Farnborough.
Team-mate Tom Jordan said: “He always struck me as the kind of lad who had his eyes wide open to different aspects of the game.
“Sometimes you would have loan lads come in from a League club to non-League and they would be looking at you like they were doing you a favour.
“His attitude was very different. He was coming in thinking, ‘I’m going to learn from this experience’.”
It was during Watkins’ spell at Weston that the then Walsall boss Dean Smith spotted him.
Smith would later take the striker to Brentford and bring him to Villa, where he has reached new levels under current boss Unai Emery.
But Watkins has never forgotten the part that Weston played in his rise to the top.
One of his Villa shirts is on display there, he has spoken to young players coming through and happily tells the local press how important and enjoyable his time at the club was.
And he even helped fund an end-of-season boys’ trip to Spain due to his fines for being late – although he was allowed to join the rest of the squad.
Read all about Ollie Watkins’ incredible rise in full…