Kelland John William James Watts

Watts signed his first professional contract in the summer of 2018, making his England under-19 debut in a 3-2 win over Turkey at the European Championship. His development came through a string of six loan spells across five clubs, taking in Stevenage, Mansfield Town, Plymouth Argyle, Peterborough United and two separate spells at Wigan Athletic.

The second of those Wigan loans came after he had already helped the club to the League One title in the 2021/2022 season, a season that stands as the clearest team honour of his career so far. When his contract at Newcastle finally expired in the summer of 2024, Watts joined Cambridge United on a free transfer and signed a two-year deal that has since been extended through to 2027.

At Cambridge, Watts has become a fixture at the back, passing 80 league appearances for the club and chipping in with seven goals along the way — a notable return for a defender. That form was recognised beyond the club last season, when he was named in both the EFL League Two Team of the Season and the PFA Team of the Year for 2025–26, individual honours that mark the clearest personal high point of his time in Cambridgeshire.