It can be a hard line to draw at times. For Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, he set the record straight regarding a prior absence from the starting XI against PSG during their Champions League fixture.
Reactions to the forward's statement ranged from Watkins being fed up with Unai Emery to the decision being the catalyst for him wanting to leave the club. Instead, it was really much more of a straightforward conversation from the striker that he simply chose to make public.
At the end of the day, clubs want to see their players who want to leave out all of their effort out there on the pitch. To be a professional at the highest levels, there is a needed sense of wanting to show that they are the best in the world at their position and wanting to highlight their abilities.
Especially in the major fixtures, such as in the CL knock-out stages, someone like Watkins will want to be involved from the opening whistle. As Watkins explained in his comments that were shared on Sky Sports News' X account, there weren't any malicious intentions or ill feelings toward the Villa boss.
There truly wasn't anything of that sort of nature. What the public simply got a glimpse of was a momentary look into what a high-end player feels throughout the course of the season. Especially for an AVFC year that has been emotionally charged and had a number of incredible moments, this specific time, when Villa were competing in Champions League and looked to advance here while maintaining their status across all other competitions, was a moment Watkins also wanted to directly play a part in.
Difficult decision every fixture for the Aston Villa boss
He, as well as his teammates, understands the difficulty for Emery each match in selecting a matchday squad and further when choosing the starting lineup. They are also more than clever enough to see and understand the full picture.
In the moment, following a loss in Paris, Watkins would have believed he could have helped to get one back sooner for the then-visitors. It would be a major concern if he didn't want to see more playing time.
Emery knows this and also is constantly balancing what's best for players individually as well as the club. Watkins, one of the best strikers in Europe, will, of course, wish to be a part of every fixture. That's all that was intended with his comments. Suggesting a rift or lack of faith in the club was never also part of what was going on behind the scences.