Kelland Watts

Kelland John William James Watts (born 3 November 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League One club Wigan Athletic, on loan from Premier League club Newcastle United.

A product of the Newcastle United academy, Watts signed his first professional contract with the club in the summer of 2018. He joined League Two club Stevenage on loan in August 2019 and then spent two months on loan at fellow League Two club Mansfield Town from January 2020. Watts made his first-team debut for Newcastle in the Premier League in July 2020, before being loaned out to Plymouth Argyle for the 2020–21 season. He joined Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan in August 2021.

Club Career

Newcastle United

Watts began playing football for Cramlington Juniors before joining Newcastle United's academy in 2008. He progressed through the youth academy at Newcastle, signing his first professional contract with the club in the summer of 2018. Having played in all 41 matches for Newcastle's under-23 team during the 2018–19 season, scoring six times, Watts appeared on the substitute's bench in Newcastle's final Premier League game of the season, a 4–0 away victory at Fulham on 12 May 2019, although was an unused substitute in the match.

Loans to Stevenage and Mansfield Town

Having been included in Newcastle's 2019 Premier League Asia Trophy squad ahead of the 2019–20 season, Watts joined League Two club Stevenage on a season-long loan agreement on 16 August 2019. He made his professional debut the following day, playing the whole match in a 0–0 draw away at Leyton Orient. He made 20 appearances for Stevenage during the first half of the season, before Newcastle recalled him from the loan spell earlier than agreed on 10 January 2020. Watts subsequently joined League Two club Mansfield Town on 28 January 2020, on loan for the remainder of the 2019–20 season. He made seven appearances during the loan spell, scoring his first goal in profe