Tisdale bracing himself for Watkins interest

(Picture: Action Images via Reuters)

Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale is bracing himself for transfer interest in young striker Ollie Watkins.

Tisdale has said he would not be surprised if the Grecians recieve offers in January for Watkins with the 20-year-old already notching six goals so far this campaign.

Championship sides such as Brentford have been linked, and scouts from the London club were supposedly at City’s first home win of the season on Saturday in which Watkins scored both in a 2-0 win over Mansfield.

“I’m sure there’ll be lots of clubs interested in him one day, but at the moment he’s our player and I don’t really want him to go,” said Tisdale.

“He’s a good young player and he’s a very good age for someone who’s playing regular league football and scoring goals.

“He’s athletic and I’d be amazed if there aren’t clubs looking at him, but that’s the same for other players as well and I’m not looking for players to go, we’re just getting things going, but we’ll see what happens.”

It has been a meteoric rise for Watkins after making his debut for Exeter as a teenager in 2014, before being handed his first start on a massive stage – the Devon Derby against Plymouth in November last year.

However, the youngster isn’t getting carried away, and said: “You can’t get ahead of yourself, you just have to keep working hard and if people are talking about you then you’re obviously doing something right.

“I just want to keep working hard and help the team climb up the table.”