Singer encouraged him during difficult times at Brentford and even confronted Gareth Southgate.

Ollie Watkins made the England team’s dream come true last night when he scored a spectacular goal in the 90th minute of their match against the Netherlands – securing the Three Lions a place in the 2024 European Championship final.

As the game drew to a close and the English fans erupted in cheers, Ollie rushed to join his family in the stands.

After kissing his girlfriend Ellie Anderson, the 28-year-old Aston Villa striker was photographed hugging his mother Delsi-May.

In an emotional moment, the mother of five – wearing Ollie’s England shirt – was seen holding her son’s face in her hands as they celebrated the most important goal of his career.

Last night’s success came after Delsi-May – a professional singer – erupted into an angry tirade during a performance last week, demanding that manager Gareth Southgate allow her son to “get on the f***ing pitch”.

Delsi-May has been her son’s biggest supporter throughout his ten-year career – and previously revealed that he had already shown talent for the sport at the age of nine months.

Here, FEMAIL reveals how Ollie’s impressive single mum supported his career whilst pursuing her own passions.

Nurturing Ollie’s early talent

Delsi-May and Steven Watkins, who lived in Newton Abbot, welcomed their son Ollie in December 1995. The former couple also had sons together, Richie, Dale and Jordan, and a daughter, Charlotte.

Ollie’s parents divorced when he was a teenager – leaving Delsi-May to raise her four children largely alone.

In an interview with The Times in March 2021, the singer described how her son showed athletic abilities at just nine months of age.

The proud mother says she always took her children to the local arcade, where Ollie had a particular fondness for a game of ball kicking.

She said: “There was a little machine where you put a two pence note in and a little rubber ball fell out.”

“He stood there and if you dropped him, he would kick it. He never missed his target. He was only nine months old.”

Delsi-May said Ollie tried other sports during his childhood, such as skateboarding and BMX riding, but always came back to football.

She joked: “Every time he went out, he came back with a flashing football!”

Ollie was a keen Arsenal fan as a child and told Sports Gazette his dream was to play for the club.

He said: “I’m an Arsenal fan so Thierry Henry was my (idol). It’s incredible to watch him. He really was my idol growing up.”

Although Delsi-May encouraged her son’s talent, Ollie previously admitted that she found it frustrating when he practiced at home.

He told Soccer Bible in 2021: “I remember being in our family house and there was like a bay window and outside there was like a wall. Right behind the wall was a ditch and I always came home with all my soccer balls.”

“But I always kicked the ball against the wall and my mother came out screaming. I always set up the flower pots in a cone shape so I could drip in and out, knock them over and there was dirt everywhere.”

Pursue your own passions

In addition to raising her four children, Delsi-May has been a member of the band The Superstitions since the early 1990s.

In a YouTube interview with local company Amity Vets, the mother explained that she always wanted to be a nurse – but gave up the idea after witnessing a minor accident involving a dog on the way home from school.

A few days later, Delsi-May was singing in a taxi on the way home from an evening with her sister when the driver told her that his friend was looking for a singer.

When she was first offered a record deal in the 1980s, her future label told her mother that she should use the stage name “Ruby Washington.”

Delsi-May was unimpressed by the strict clauses in the contract and decided to back out of the deal – but kept the name because it appeared on all of her promotional images.

She explained: “(The plan was) to change my name back to my real name, Delsi-May, but people knew by now that I was Ruby Washington. It was already set, so it didn’t happen.”

In the 1980s, Delsi also appeared on the television shows of Bob Monkhouse and Joe Longthorne.

A single mother of four, Delsi-May detailed in her interview with The Times the difficulties of maintaining a career while supporting Ollie’s growing football talent.

At the age of 11, Ollie was accepted into Exeter City’s football academy, a 35-minute drive from the family home in Newton Abbot.

The mother explained: “I had to rush to school, take them back, get them something to eat, put them in the car, rush to Exeter during rush hour and then make sure I got back in time to get to work.”

Although the solution worked well for local performances, Delsi-May said she relied on a friend’s father to pick Ollie up and take him home.

“You will play for England”

After three years at Exeter City, Ollie was loaned to Weston-super-Mare before moving to Brentford.

As her son’s career became more and more successful, she never doubted that he would become one of the best British players, said Delsi-May.

When Ollie signed for Brentford, his mother told him: “One day you will play for England.”

However, Ollie’s career has not always been smooth sailing – and she described in detail how he once burst into tears when she picked him up from training in Exeter.

The mother recalled the warm exchange and said Ollie was convinced that former Exeter manager Paul Tisdale was “bullying” him.

Click here to resize this module

In response, Delsi-May encouraged her son to see it as an encouraging sign and proof that the manager knew his talent and needed him to “focus.”

In addition, Ollie has previously spoken about his mother’s emotional reaction when he joined Aston Villa in 2020.

Speaking to Gaffer World, Ollie explained: “The day after I signed for Villa, I was in the hotel with my mum and as I was leaving for my first day of training, she burst into tears.

“So it got me going as well. I actually took the time to sit down and realise that this is a really big moment. To go from Exeter, to playing outside the league and then be a record signing for a huge club like Villa. It’s unbelievable.”

On this crucial day of his career, Ollie announced that his family were given a tour of the club

He remembered Delsi-May taking off her shoes so she could “really feel the pitch” while his brother pretended to score goals.

“Let Ollie get on the damn field!”

Before last night, Ollie had only played 20 minutes at the European Championships – and his mother expressed her frustration during an appearance earlier this month.

In a viral TikTok, Delsi-May can be seen on stage sending a strongly worded message to Gareth Southgate.

She said: “On Wednesday (it is my wish) that they finally let my son on the damn field!”

Watkins proved to be the team’s unexpected hero as the game was tied in the 90th minute after goals from Xavi Simmons and Harry Kane.

Click here to resize this module

The 28-year-old revealed after the game that he had predicted he would score a goal as a substitute in the semi-final: “I swear on my life, I swear on the lives of my children, I said to Cole Palmer: We’re coming and you’re going to give me a chance today.”

“And that’s why I was so happy. I knew that as soon as he got the ball he would pass it to me and then you have to be greedy: touch and finish. And when I saw it go into the bottom corner… oh my God.

“I’m at a loss for words. When you score a goal, you’re filled with emotions, but this is just a different feeling, it was like slow motion. I didn’t want to leave the field, I just wanted to take it all in. I don’t think I’ve ever hit a ball so well.”

He was awarded the Player of the Match award for his crucial contribution and had a memory that, he admitted, exceeded his wildest dreams.

“Honestly, I didn’t dream about it as a child. I can’t lie to you and say I dreamed about it,” he added.

“I never thought I would be able to do this in a tournament like this. I never thought I would be playing for England at the European Championships. You can dream, but I’m a realist and I live from day to day.

“I’ve worked hard to get to this point. I’m going to enjoy every moment.”

“I’ve obviously been a bit frustrated recently. I don’t like sitting on the bench, I’ve had the best season of my career. A few friends have written to me and told me to be patient and the number of people who have written to me tonight saying that I would score a goal if I came on was ridiculous.

“Hopefully they can do the same for the final or give me the lottery numbers!”