Darren Watson (footballer)
{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Darren Watson
| caption =
| image =
| image_size =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|8|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Methil, Fife, Scotland
| height = 1.77 m{{Soccerway|darren-watson/674655}}
| position = Forward
| currentclub = Forfar Athletic
| clubnumber = 17
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Kennoway
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Fife Elite Football Academy
| youthyears3 = 2015–2020
| youthclubs3 = Dundee United
| years1 = 2016–2023
| clubs1 = Dundee United
| caps1 = 7
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2022
| clubs2 = → East Fife (loan)
| caps2 = 5
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2023
| clubs3 = → Forfar Athletic (loan)
| caps3 = 6
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2023–2024
| clubs4 = Forfar Athletic
| caps4 = 15
| goals4 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2019
| nationalteam1 = Scotland U16
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| club-update = 4 May 2024
| ntupdate = 7 January 2021 (UTC)
}}
Darren Watson (born 10 August 2003) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=First Team {{!}} Dundee United Football Club|url=https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/team/first-team|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519144508/https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/team/first-team|archive-date=19 May 2019|access-date=7 January 2021|website=Dundee United FC Official Website|url-status=dead}}
Early life
Watson was born in Scotland on 10 August 2003, he attended Methilhill Primary School, Methilhill, Fife before switching to St Johns Academy and was given a contract at Dundee United.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Darren Watson {{!}} Dundee United Football Club|url=https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/team/first-team/darren-watson|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=7 January 2021|website=Dundee United FC Official Website}}
Club career
Watson began his career playing youth football for Kennoway FC and at the Fife Elite Football Academy.{{cite web|title=THIRTEEN ACADEMY GRADUATES SIGN PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS|url=https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/news/6065/THIRTEEN-ACADEMY-GRADUATES-SIGN-PROFESSIONAL-CONTRACTS.html|website=dundeeunitedfc.co.uk|date=10 May 2019|access-date=23 April 2021}} He joined the youth academy of Dundee United in 2015, signing his first professional contract in May 2019. Watson made his debut for the club against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on 13 December 2020. He started the game on the bench, coming on as a substitute for Adrián Spörle in the 86th minute of the game, as the match ended in a 2–1 defeat for Dundee United.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=13 December 2020|title=Dundee United 1-2 Rangers: Match report|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55204189|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=7 January 2021|website=BBC}}{{cite web|title=Dundee United 1 Rangers 2 RECAP as Steven Gerrard's make it nine league wins in a row|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/dundee-united-vs-rangers-live-23159707|website=dailyrecord.co.uk|last=Pirie|first=Mark|date=13 December 2020|access-date=23 April 2021}}
On 28 January 2022, Watson joined Scottish League One side East Fife on loan for the remainder of the 2021–22 season. Darren returned to his parent club Dundee United due to an injury that cut short his loan stay at the Methil outfits.{{Cite web |url=https://eastfifefc.info/latest-news/1080-darren-watson-joins-on-loan |title=Darren Watson joins on loan |publisher=East Fife FC |date=28 January 2022 |accessdate=30 January 2022}}
In June 2023, following his release from Dundee United, Watson signed with Scottish League Two club Forfar Athletic following a short loan spell the previous season.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ewan |date=2023-06-23 |title=Ex-Dundee United kids Adam Hutchinson and Darren Watson have 'very bright futures' as duo make permanent move to Forfar |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/dundee-united/4503634/ray-mckinnon-forfar-adam-hutchinson-darren-watson/ |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=The Courier |language=en-GB}}
International career
Watson has represented Scotland at under-16. He played his first match against Australia U16 on 24 January 2019, as a half time substitute for Aaron Lyall. The match ended 3–2 in favour of Scotland.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=24 January 2019|title=Scotland U16 vs Australia U16|url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international-matches/?mid=220751|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=7 January 2021|website=Scottish Football Association}}
Career statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|Dundee United
|1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021–22
|Scottish Premiership |1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Dundee United B
|colspan=2|2021–22 |colspan=6|— | 1{{efn|name=SCC|Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup, in which age-restricted teams from the Scottish Premiership clubs compete against senior clubs}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/team/first-team/darren-watson Darren Watson] at Dundee United FC
- {{ESPN FC|38521/darren-watson}}
- {{Soccerbase|135152}}
- {{Sofascore|darren-watson/1086181}}
- {{WorldFootball.net|darren-watson}}
- {{FBref|d908dc67/Darren-Watson}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Darren}}
Category:21st-century Scottish sportsmen
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Scotland men's youth international footballers
Category:Dundee United F.C. players
Category:East Fife F.C. players