Craig Watson (footballer, born 1995)
{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Craig Watson
| image =
| caption =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|2|13|df=y}}{{cite web|url=http://www.acciesfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1883:fixtures-201213&catid=41:stats&Itemid=2|title=Fixtures 2012/13|accessdate=5 August 2013|publisher=Hamilton Academical F.C.|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326014523/http://www.acciesfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1883%3Afixtures-201213&catid=41%3Astats&Itemid=2|archivedate=26 March 2014}}
| birth_place = Fraserburgh, Scotland
| height = {{height|m=1.83}}
| position = Defender / Midfielder
| currentclub = Airdrieonians
| clubnumber = 16
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Park Villa
| youthyears2 = 2005–2012
| youthclubs2 = Hamilton Academical
| years1 = 2011–2017
| clubs1 = Hamilton Academical
| caps1 = 11
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2015–2016
| clubs2 = → Arbroath (loan)
| caps2 = 20
| goals2 = 2
| years3 = 2017–2021
| clubs3 = East Fife
| caps3 = 83
| goals3 = 6
| years4 = 2021–
| clubs4 = Airdrieonians
| caps4 = 76
| goals4 = 7
| club-update = 11:58, 5 January 2024 (UTC)
}}
Craig Watson (born 13 February 1995) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/player/craig-watson/31112/|title=Profile|publisher=Scottish Football League|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628131716/http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/player/craig-watson/31112/|archivedate=28 June 2013}} for {{Scottish football updater|Airdrieo}} club Airdrieonians.
Career
Watson moved from Park Villa in Govan to Hamilton Academical as a youth player.{{cite web|url=http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/watson-delighted-to-take-in-a-game/|title=Watson delighted to take in a game|date=6 December 2013|accessdate=8 December 2013|author=Craig Stewart|publisher=SPFL}} He signed a professional contract with the club in 2012,{{cite web|url=http://www.acciesfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1495:academy-players-turn-professional&catid=44:news&Itemid=140|title=Academy Players Turn Professional|publisher=Hamilton Academical F.C.|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615061415/http://www.acciesfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1495%3Aacademy-players-turn-professional&catid=44%3Anews&Itemid=140|archivedate=15 June 2012}} and made his senior debut on 28 April 2012, in a 5–1 defeat against Ross County in the Scottish First Division,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17883895 |title=Ross County 5–1 Hamilton|date=28 April 2012|work=BBC Sport}} just a year after suffering a potentially career-threatening injury.{{cite web |url=http://www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk/news/local-news/hamilton-news/2012/05/03/youngster-makes-first-team-debut-a-year-after-suffering-career-threatening-injury-51525-30888713/ |title=Youngster makes first-team debut a year after suffering career-threatening injury |publisher=Hamilton Advertiser |author=Andrew McGilvray |date=3 May 2012 |accessdate=2 July 2012}} In April 2013, Watson signed a two-year extension to his contract.{{cite web|url=http://acciesfc.co.uk/index.php?view=article&catid=44:news&id=2220:watson-extends-contract&format=pdf|title=Watson extends contract|date=26 April 2013|publisher=Hamilton Academical F.C.|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722230754/http://acciesfc.co.uk/index.php?view=article&catid=44%3Anews&id=2220%3Awatson-extends-contract&format=pdf|archivedate=22 July 2013}} In April 2015 he signed a new contract with the club, until the summer of 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32316758|title=Hamilton Academical: Six players sign new deals at Hamilton|date=15 April 2015|accessdate=15 April 2015|work=BBC Sport}}
In September 2015, Watson moved on loan to Arbroath until January 2016. This loan spell was later extended until the end of the season.{{Cite web|url=https://spfl.co.uk/news/linn-commits-future-to-arbroath|title=Linn commits future to Arbroath | SPFL|website=spfl.co.uk}}
Watson left Hamilton at the end of the 2016–17 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.hamiltonacciesfc.co.uk/popular-duo-depart/|title=Popular duo depart|date=7 June 2017|accessdate=8 June 2017|publisher=Hamilton Academical F.C.}} He then signed for East Fife.{{cite web |url=http://www.eastfifefc.info/latest-news/235-latest-new-signings |title=Latest new signings |publisher=East Fife FC |date=12 July 2017 |accessdate=12 July 2017}} Watson made his debut for the club in the League Cup against Peterhead on 15 July 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40619936 |title=Peterhead v East Fife |publisher=BBC |date=15 July 2017 |accessdate=16 July 2017}} He signed a new contract with the club in June 2018 {{cite web|url=https://eastfifefc.info/latest-news/490-jonathan-court-and-craig-watson-sign-on|title=Jonathan Court and Craig Watson Sign On|date=19 June 2018|accessdate=8 May 2019|publisher=East Fife F.C.}} and departed in May 2021 for Airdrieonians.{{Cite web|url=https://www.airdriefc.com/2021news/210529/Craig-Watson-agrees-terms|title=Craig Watson agrees terms|website=airdrie}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/ex-accies-star-snapped-up-24212071|title=Ex-Accies star snapped up by Airdrie|first=Andy|last=McGilvray|date=29 May 2021|website=Daily Record}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 06 November 2021}}{{soccerbase|id=64958|name=Craig Watson}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Airdrieonians F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Craig}}
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Sportspeople from Fraserburgh
Category:Footballers from Glasgow
Category:Hamilton Academical F.C. players
Category:Arbroath F.C. players
Category:Scottish Football League players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players
Category:East Fife F.C. players
Category:Footballers from Aberdeenshire
Category:Airdrieonians F.C. players
Category:21st-century Scottish sportsmen
{{scotland-footy-midfielder-1990s-stub}}