England striker Ollie Watkins had some pretty direct thoughts on the backlash Jeremy Doku is getting for wanting to leave the World Cup to be there when his first child is born. And spoiler: he thinks the critics are way off base.
It all started when French TV presenter France Pierron called Doku’s potential departure “outrageous” during a segment on L’Equipe. She went a step further and described childbirth itself as a “disgusting moment…where the dad is completely useless.” That didn’t sit well with a lot of people, and Watkins made sure to say something.
“I think for a start (disgusting) is not a way to label a birth,” Watkins said Sunday. “It only happens once, your first child. Welcoming them into the world is a blessing, and you don’t get that opportunity (again).”
Watkins, who has two kids of his own, said he gets why Doku feels the way he does. The Aston Villa forward pointed out that footballers spend most of the year away from their families, and missing something like a birth is a tough ask.
“I see where (Doku) is coming from. I think he has all the right to go back and be there,” Watkins said. “I think we’re very privileged men at the end of the day, and I’m sure he will have a lot of support to be able to get there as quickly as possible, make sure he’s there to support her (wife Shireen), and then fly back out.”
The 24-year-old Manchester City winger is a key piece for Belgium, but he’s already told reporters his wife is due in the second week of July. That lines up with the World Cup quarterfinals if Belgium makes it that far. “It depends on when it happens, but it’s my first child, so I would definitely want to be there,” Doku said.
Belgian media reported that the team would likely arrange a private plane to get Doku to England, where the baby is due to be born, and then get him back for the tournament if things line up. So this isn’t some hypothetical pipe dream. It’s a real plan.
Pierron’s comments sparked a social media backlash, and she eventually apologized over the weekend. “I understand that they may have shocked, offended, or hurt some of you, and I am sorry,” she posted. “My intention was never to minimize the place or role of fathers with their partners and children.”
Watkins said he’d make the exact same choice if he were in Doku’s shoes. “I would want to do it. I don’t see the problem with it,” he said. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that.
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