Ryan James Watson (born 7 July 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Salford City.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Ryan James Watson[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1993-07-07) 7 July 1993 (age 29) | ||
Place of birth | Crewe, England | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Salford City | ||
Youth career | |||
–2010 | Everton | ||
2010–2011 | Wigan Athletic | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2013 | Wigan Athletic | 0 | (0) |
2012 | → Accrington Stanley (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2013–2016 | Leicester City | 0 | (0) |
2014 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
2015 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 11 | (0) |
2016–2018 | Barnet | 47 | (2) |
2018–2019 | Milton Keynes Dons | 22 | (0) |
2019–2021 | Northampton Town | 64 | (13) |
2021–2022 | Tranmere Rovers | 16 | (1) |
2022– | Salford City | 33 | (7) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:05, 29 September 2022 (UTC) |
After an initial spell with the academy of Everton, Watson joined the academy of Wigan Athletic in 2010. He signed professional terms in 2011 and played for the team's development squad throughout the 2011–12 season. After a brief loan spell with League Two club Accrington Stanley,[3] Watson was one of ten players released by Wigan at the end of the 2012–13 season.[4]
Watson signed a one-year deal with then Championship club Leicester City in September 2013, having impressed on trial with the club's development squad.[5] Having continued to impress for the club's reserve team, Watson signed a two-year contract extension in June 2014.[6] On 26 August 2014, Watson made his first team debut for the club, starting in a second round League Cup home defeat to Shrewsbury Town.[7]
After joining Northampton Town on loan initially until January 2015, Watson suffered a cruciate ligament injury after only five appearances for the League Two club, and returned to Leicester City for treatment in October 2014.[8] The injury would rule him out of action for the remainder of the 2014–15 season. Watson re-joined Northampton Town on loan at the beginning of the 2015–16 season,[9] and went on to make fifteen appearances for the club, scoring a single goal in a 3–2 Football League Trophy first round win against Colchester United on 1 September 2015.[10]
Following the expiry of his loan, Watson returned to Leicester City in January 2016 and continued to play for the club's reserve team. He captained the side in a 1–1 draw with Middlesbrough on 25 January 2016.[11] At the end of the season, Watson was among seven players released by the club.[12]
On 1 July 2016, Watson joined then League Two club Barnet.[13] After two seasons with the club, Watson was released at the end of the 2017–18 season having scored two goals in 52 appearances.[14]
On 20 June 2018, Watson joined newly-relegated League Two club Milton Keynes Dons on a one-year deal effective from 1 July 2018.[15] He scored his first goal for the club on 14 August 2018, in a 3–0 EFL Cup first round home win over Charlton Athletic.[16] Following limited first team opportunities, Watson was one of ten players released by the club at the end of the 2018–19 season.[17]
On 3 June 2019, Watson joined Northampton Town on a free transfer effective from 1 July 2019, having previously played for the club across two loan spells.[18] He finished 2020/21 as player of the season and top goal scorer but chose not to sign a new contract at Northampton.
On 19 June 2021, Watson joined Tranmere Rovers on a two-year deal.
On 14 January 2022, Watson signed an 18-month contract with League Two side Salford City after joining for an undisclosed fee.[19]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[lower-alpha 1] | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Wigan Athletic | 2011–12[20] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
2012–13[21] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
Accrington Stanley (loan) | 2012–13[21] | League Two | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Leicester City | 2013–14[22] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
2014–15[23] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
2015–16[24] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Northampton Town (loan) | 2014–15[23] | League Two | 5 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
2015–16[24] | League Two | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 15 | 1 | |
Barnet | 2016–17[25] | League Two | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 22 | 1 |
2017–18[26] | League Two | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
Total | 47 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 2 | ||
Milton Keynes Dons | 2018–19[27] | League Two | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 27 | 1 |
Northampton Town | 2019–20[28] | League Two | 25 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] | 1[lower-alpha 4] | 36 | 7 |
2020–21[29] | League One | 39 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 45 | 9 | |
Total | 80 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 101 | 17 | ||
Tranmere Rovers | 2021–22[30] | League Two | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 22 | 2 |
Career total | 165 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 3 | 204 | 22 |
Northampton Town
Milton Keynes Dons
Salford City F.C. – current squad | |
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