ENGLAND’s Ollie Watkins has proposed to girlfriend Ellie Alderson after his Euros 2024 success.
Footballer Ollie, who got us into the Euros final with a last minute winner in extra time, declared today: “Future wifey!!”
The Aston Villa star added: ” It was only right. 21.07.24.”
Ollie, 28, got down on one knee in Lake Como, Italy, and posted stunning photos from the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
The Three Lions ace presented Ellie with a gorgeous diamond on a balcony overlooking the lake and alps.
They both wore matching white outfits and were surrounded by flowers in the sweet photos.
Fans swiftly congratulated the couple, including Ellie’s brother, who penned beneath his post: “So happy for you both! Lots of love future bro in law!”
Another pal said: “Go on the boy. Mr romantic putting the rest of us to shame!! Can’t wait!”
Striker Ollie, brought up in a sleepy Devon market town, shares children Amara, two, and one-year-old Marley, with interior designer Ellie.
The couple have been in a relationship with since 2018 and live together in Birmingham.
Often supporting her man, she attends football awards events with him and is a regular at Villa Park.
The Three Lions sealed their place in the Euro 2024 final thanks to a last-minute goal from the substitute.
And England manager Gareth Southgate got carried away celebrating Ollie’s winner in a now viral clip.
Ollie was called a “late developer” by his mum Delsi-May.
Born in December 1995 in Torquay, Devon, dad Steven and mum Delsi-May split when Ollie was a child.
He was raised in the small market town of Newton Abbot, on the fringes of Dartmoor.
Bringing up Ollie, his brothers Richie, Dale and Jordan, and sister Charlotte alone, sould singer Delsi-May often took the children to her shows.
Ollie said: “I got taken along to her gigs with my brother when I was younger. She also used to work on cruise ships and that’s when she was away. My singing? I probably let the family down with that but one thing I got from mum, I think, was a very good music taste.
“My grandad listened to Frank Sinatra, mum listened to Whitney Houston, the blues, soul, and I like that stuff.”
Ollie had been rejected for a place at Exeter City’s academy aged nine but a year later he made the grade.
It meant Delsi-May having to juggle her work with a 40-mile round trip for his football training.
She said: “I had to bomb it over to school, bring them back, get them something to eat, get them in the car, bomb it over to Exeter during rush hour. Then I had to make sure I got back in time for me to get to work.”
Ollie’s close friend Matt Jay, a fellow pupil at South Dartmoor Community College and Exeter City’s academy, recalls his old teammate failing to initially make the grade.
Midfielder Matt, now at League Two Colchester United, said: “I joined Exeter at under-nines.
“I think the story is that Ollie didn’t make it that year, but came back the next.
“You could tell he had something, but people develop at different rates. Exeter’s academy was all about technical ability.
“I’m not saying that Ollie wasn’t blessed with that, but he wasn’t the best player there, for sure.
“He was very fast but he was a late developer.”
It comes after Ollie’s teammate and winger Jarrod Bowen also proposed to girlfriend Dani Dyer on holiday over the weekend.
Watkins scored a last minute winner against the Netherlands to secure England’s spot in the Euo 2024 final[/caption] The striker performing for Exeter City’s under 16’s[/caption] Ellie, from Berkshire, has been dating Ollie Watkins since 2018[/caption]