Hamish Watson (footballer)

Hamish Watson
Watson playing for Wellington Phoenix in 2016
Personal information
Full name Hamish John Sanders Watson[1]
Date of birth (1993-04-17) 17 April 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre forward
Team information
Current team
 Wellington Olympic
Youth career
1997–2011 Lower Hutt City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Hawke's Bay United 13 (6)
2012–2013 Team Wellington 13 (8)
2013 → Wellington Phoenix (loan) 0 (0)
2013–2014 Team Wellington 11 (4)
2013–2014 Wellington Phoenix 2 (0)
2014–2015 Grimsby Town 4 (0)
2014–2015 → Gainsborough Trinity (loan) 4 (0)
2015–2016 Hawke's Bay United 11 (6)
2015–2018 Wellington Phoenix 31 (6)
2016–2018 Wellington Phoenix Reserves 4 (2)
2018–2019 Team Wellington 12 (8)
2019 Melbourne Knights 28 (14)
2019–2021 Team Wellington 21 (17)
2021 Wellington Olympic 5 (5)
2021–2022 Dandenong Thunder 9 (4)
2022 Miramar Rangers 22 (21)
2023– Wellington Olympic 45 (34)
International career‡
2013 New Zealand U-20 5 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 March 2014

Hamish John Sanders Watson (born 17 April 1993) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a centre forward for Wellington Olympic.

He has previously played for Lower Hutt City, Hawke's Bay United, Grimsby Town, Wellington Phoenix and Team Wellington.[3][4] He has also been capped by the New Zealand U-20 side.

Career

Watson started his footballing career at Lower Hutt City at the age of 4 before moving onto the Phoenix school of excellence and making 13 appearances with Team Wellington.[5] On 10 October 2013 he signed a one-week deal with Wellington Phoenix as a loan cover for the internationals.[6] On 5 February 2014 he signed for A-league side Wellington Phoenix for the remainder on the 2013–14 season.[5][7]

On 23 April 2014 he made his debut in the Central Premier League with Wairarapa United.[8][9]

On 25 October 2014 Watson moved to England, training with Conference Premier side Grimsby Town to try earn a contract with the club.[10] On 20 November 2014 Watson received international clearance, and on the verge of signing for Grimsby Town,[11] he signed a short-term contract until January with the club later on that day.[12] On 26 February 2015, having made 4 brief substitute appearances, Watson joined Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity on a one-month loan deal, to help him develop.[13] On 20 May 2015, Watson was released by Grimsby Town.[14]

On 30 June 2015, Watson rejoined Central Premier League side Wairarapa United.[15]

In February 2016, Watson joined Wellington Phoenix as an injury replacement for Roy Krishna.[16] Following a successful spell, at the end of the season Watson signed a year long professional contract with the club.[17]

On 24 January 2018, Watson agreed to part ways with Wellington Phoenix after seeing limited game time with the team.[18]

After another spell with Team Wellington, Watson moved to Australia, signing for National Premier Leagues Victoria side Melbourne Knights.[19] On 12 June 2019 Watson scored a hat-trick against rivals South Melbourne FC in the last round of the Victorian 2019 FFA Cup preliminary rounds, sending his side through to the national stage of the cup.[20]

International career

Watson has represented New Zealand at the Under-20 level. They performed in the OFC U-20 Championship Tournament in Lautoka, Fiji in 2013, with every game being played at the Churchull Park Stadium, eventually finishing champions in the tournament that also featured Fiji the hosts, New Caledonia under 21, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.[21] On 21 March 2013, he scored in New Zealand's 5–0 win over Papua New Guinea.[22] On 27 March 2013, Watson scored again in the final game, beating the hosts Fiji 4–0.[23] The team qualifying as Oceania's representative at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey which Watson attended. He played in two games at the World Cup in Turkey, first in the 0—2 lost to Uruguay, getting 12mins. Then in the 0—3 lost to Uzbekistan getting his first start.[24][25]

Career statistics

As of match played on 25 January 2018[26]
Club Season Division League Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hawke's Bay United 2011–12 New Zealand Football Championship 13 6 13 6
Team Wellington 2012–13 New Zealand Football Championship 13 8 13 8
Wellington Phoenix (loan) 2013–14 A-League 0 0 0 0
Team Wellington 2013–14 New Zealand Football Championship 11 4 11 4
Wellington Phoenix 2013–14 A-League 2 0 2 0
Grimsby Town 2014–15 Conference Premier 4 0 4 0
Gainsborough Trinity (loan) 2014–15 Conference North 4 0 4 0
Hawke's Bay United 2015–16 New Zealand Football Championship 11 6 11 6
Wellington Phoenix 2015–16 A-League 8 3 8 3
Wellington Phoenix 2016–17 A-League 21 2 21 2
Wellington Phoenix Reserves 2016–17 New Zealand Football Championship 2 1 2 1
Wellington Phoenix 2017–18 A-League 2 1 8 0
Wellington Phoenix Reserves 2016–17 New Zealand Football Championship 2 1 2 1
Career total 93 32 93 32

Personal life

Watson is a keen supporter of Liverpool football club, his favorite players are Luis Suárez and Steven Gerrard.[2]

Honours

Club

Lower Hutt City

International

New Zealand

References

  1. ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 List of Players: New Zealand" (PDF). FIFA. 23 June 2013. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Player Profile". Team Wellington. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Hamish signs for Team Wellington". Retrieved 25 January 2018 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Rollo, Phillip; Voerman, Andrew (26 January 2018). "Team Wellington lands former Phoenix striker Hamish Watson as squads shuffle their pack". New Zealand: Stuff. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Hamish Watson signs for Wellington Phoenix". Team Wellington. 6 February 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ "Phoenix sign four players on short deals". The New Zealand Herald. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Hamish Watson signs to Phoenix". The Dominion Post. Wellington. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Phoenix striker set for debut". The Wairarapa Times-Age. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  9. ^ "Player Profile – Wairarapa United". Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  10. ^ "New Zealand striker Hamish Watson has been training with Grimsby Town". Grimsby Telegraph. 25 October 2014. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  11. ^ "New Zealand striker Hamish Watson receives international clearance". Grimsby Telegraph. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  12. ^ "Grimsby Town sign New Zealand striker Hamish Watson". Grimsby Telegraph. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  13. ^ "Watson Loaned To Trinity". Pitchero. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  14. ^ "Grimsby Town: Who is staying & who is going as players learn their fate". Grimsby Telegraph. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  15. ^ "Watson back as United go for title bid". The Wairarapa Times-Age. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  16. ^ "Watson Joins Phoenix As Injury Replacement". Wellington Phoenix. 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  17. ^ Gray, Russell (19 April 2016). "Watson Gets The Birthday Present He Craved". Wellington Phoenix. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  18. ^ "Wellington Phoenix release fringe striker Hamish Watson". New Zealand: Stuff. 24 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Watson rounds out deadline day action". Melbourne Knights FC. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  20. ^ Lynch, Joey. "Knights power past South to book place in FFA Cup Round of 32 | Daily Football Show". Retrieved 13 June 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^ "Sides learn passage to World Cup". Oceania Football Confederation. 8 February 2013. Archived from the original on 14 February 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ^ "Papua New Guinea 0–5 New Zealand". Oceania Football Confederation. 21 March 2013. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  23. ^ "New Zealand 4–0 Fiji". Oceania Football Confederation. 27 March 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  24. ^ "NZ youngsters qualify for U20 World Cup". New Zealand: Stuff. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  25. ^ "FIFA Player Profile". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  26. ^ Hamish Watson at Soccerway