Ben Watson (footballer born July 1985)

Ben Watson

Watson on U.S. tour with Wigan Athletic in June 2013
Personal information
Full name	Ben Watson
Date of birth	(1985-07-09) 9 July 1985 (age 31)
Place of birth	Camberwell, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Watford
Number	23
Youth career
000?–2003	Crystal Palace
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2009	Crystal Palace	169	(18)
2009–2015	Wigan Athletic	107	(13)
2009	→ Queens Park Rangers (loan)	16	(2)
2010	→ West Bromwich Albion (loan)	7	(1)
2015–	Watford	56	(2)
National team
2004–2006	England U21	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:07, 13 August 2016 (UTC).

Ben Watson (born 9 July 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Watford. He has previously played for Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace, and had loan spells at Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion. He has also represented England at U21 level.

Watson won an FA Cup winners medal in 2013, by scoring a stoppage time header and the only goal of the game against Manchester City. This was the first time Wigan Athletic had won the FA Cup.

Born in Camberwell, London, Watson made his debut aged 17 towards the end of the 2002–03 season against Watford, giving a good performance to keep his place in the side for the final four games of the season. He scored his first goal for the club at the start of the following season in a 1–1 draw against Millwall, and gradually featured in the Palace side more regularly over the next few seasons, surpassing 200 appearances for the Eagles before his 23rd birthday.

He has also represented England in the under-21 team.

In 2006, he was one of six nominees for the "League Cup New Talent Award", drawn up by the Football Writers' Association. He was also named as Palace's "Young Player of The Year" at the end of the season, and was rewarded with a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2009.