"Disgusting" is how a French TV presenter described childbirth. Ollie Watkins, father of two, had thoughts on that.
The Aston Villa striker came out firmly in support of Belgium winger Jeremy Doku this weekend after L'Equipe presenter France Pierron sparked a social media storm by criticising Doku's wish to leave the World Cup to be present at the birth of his first child. Pierron called childbirth a "disgusting moment... where the dad is completely useless" and said Doku's decision "outrages me."
Watkins was having none of it. "I think for a start, 'disgusting' is not a way to label a birth," he said. "It only happens once, your first child. Welcoming them into the world is a blessing, and you don't get that opportunity again."
Doku's situation
The 24-year-old Manchester City winger played 86 minutes in Belgium's 1-1 draw with Egypt in their World Cup opener. His wife Shireen is due to give birth in the second week of July — right around the quarter-final stage. If Belgium are still in it by then, Doku wants to fly back to England, where the child is due, and Belgian media reports a private plane would be arranged.
It's hard to argue with that logic. A quick flight, a private jet, and he's back in camp. The football world has handled far messier disruptions than a father attending his child's birth.
Pierron has since apologised, posting that her intention "was never to minimise the place or role of fathers with their partners and children." A bit late, but noted.
Watkins speaks from experience
What gives Watkins's defence its weight is that he's not speaking in the abstract. He's a father himself and made clear he'd make the same call in a heartbeat. "I would want to do it. I don't see the problem with it," he said, adding that players spend long stretches of the season away from family already. Missing the birth of your first child on top of that is a different category of sacrifice entirely.
"I think we're very privileged men at the end of the day," Watkins said of footballers. "I think that's fair enough."
For Belgium's World Cup betting odds, Doku's potential brief absence is probably a rounding error — assuming he returns promptly and Belgium advance that far. The real story here was never the football. It was a TV pundit calling a birth "disgusting" and a footballer being the one to say what most people were already thinking.
