He had just joined Weston on loan from Exeter. His senior experience at that stage comprised three substitute appearances in League Two and one in the League Cup. “I think it was my first real, proper game against a big team,” he remembers of that National League South fixture at Ebbsfleet, where he struck the only goal in the 71st minute. “I think they were top of the league at the time. They had a really big budget; we were fighting to stay up and that was a big stage for me at that point, and I played really well. I scored and you get a sense of belief and a bit more confidence about you, so then I felt like I was ready for the next step.”

Overall, he scored ten goals for Weston as the quiet seaside town became a significant staging post for this future England footballer. The next two seasons of League Two football back at Exeter represented the next stage of his development.

“Physically, it was a lot tougher,” he remembers. “I was playing against fully grown men when I was obviously much younger, still developing. As well, it’s a lot more physical, as in aerial duels and you might get an elbow and stuff like that. And you have to create your own chances because teams didn’t really play it too much – the quality isn’t as good, even though there’s a lot of pros that have dropped down a level and may be getting towards the end of their careers.

“I’d say it’s probably easier, in certain aspects, in the Premier League because you’re playing with better quality players. But then, you know, the defenders are smarter in this league so there’s pros and cons to it all. It’s small steps, but I feel like if you can conquer them then you’re ready to move on to whatever is next for you.”

Move on he has, yet if the rewards have increased and the attention intensified, he suggests that, on a human level, some things remain pretty much the same. “All my team-mates are normal people, so I don’t see them any [differently than] I saw my team-mates when I was playing in non-league. We just happen to play football for a living and there’s more exposure at the end of the day. I’ve always treated people the same, no matter whether they’re really famous or not. It’s just about morals.”

Indeed, one of his best friends in football remains a fellow young hopeful from his Exeter days, Jamie Reid, now a forward with League One side Stevenage. “I’m really close to him, always keeping an eye on what he’s doing, how many goals he’s scoring. I’m always chatting to him, following his journey. I speak to him most weeks and we look back at our times together when we were playing at Exeter and just how quickly it has gone and how times have changed.”

To map out that change, after 21 goals in League Two for Exeter, in 2017 Watkins stepped up to Brentford, then of the Championship, and developed further: ten league goals in his first season, another ten in the second, then 25 in his third to earn his move to Villa Park.

Looking back, it was at Brentford, he says, that he really gained a sense of his possibilities. “My full potential? Maybe at Brentford in my final year is when I really kicked on and turned the corner, performing consistently. I had a little switch and, you know, started to fulfil my potential. I’d say probably at Brentford, and then since the boss has come in [here], he’s then taken me to another level.”

Ah, the boss. That, of course, is Unai Emery, the man who last spring led Villa to Champions League qualification with their highest league finish since 1995/96. Watkins conveys a feeling of genuine gratitude when speaking of Emery and the tweaks made to his performances by the Spaniard, starting with his “game understanding”. When Watkins first joined Villa, he would endear himself to supporters with his willingness to chase lost causes, running here and there to close down opposition defenders. Now he is more selective.