Louie Shaun Watson (born 7 June 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Crawley Town.
Club career
Early career Born in Croydon, Watson began playing youth football with Junior Elite FC in Beckenham aged 9 before joining West Ham United's academy at under-11 level. He signed his first professional contract with West Ham in May 2019.
Derby County Watson joined Derby County in summer 2020 on a two-year contract. He was named in a Derby first team squad for the first-time for a match against Preston North End on 26 December 2020, and made his debut for Derby County in the following match as a substitute in a 4–0 win against Birmingham City on 29 December. He made his full debut for the club in a 2–2 draw with Brentford in March 2021, and made nine appearances in total during the 2020–21 season for Derby.
Luton Town On 1 July 2022, Watson joined Championship club Luton Town for an undisclosed fee.
Charlton Athletic (loan) On 1 September 2023, Watson signed for League One club Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan.
On 30 August 2024, Watson departed Luton Town having had his contract terminated by mutual consent.
Crawley Town On 21 February 2025, Watson joined Crawley Town on a deal until the end of the 2025–26 season. He extended his contract for another two years in June 2026.
International career Watson was capped twice for England U15 in two friendlies against United States U15, before playing for the Republic of Ireland at U18 level. On 26 March 2021, Watson made his Republic of Ireland U21 debut playing 73 minutes in a 2–1 away win over Wales U21s. He made a total of 5 appearances for the 21s.
Watson is also eligible to represent Bangladesh through his paternal grandfather's Bangladeshi heritage.
Personal life He is the son of former footballer Steve Watson, who played non-League football for clubs including Sutton United and Aldershot Town.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsWest Ham United U232019–20—1010Derby County2020–21Championship900000—902021–22Championship400020—60Total1300020—150Luton Town2022–23Championship50301000902023–24Premier League000000—00Total5030100090Charlton Athletic (loan)2023–24League One210200041271Crawley Town2024–25League One70———702025–26League Two251101000271Total321101000341Career total711604051862
References