Watts, Caleb

Birth Date

16th January 2002

Birthplace

Hammersmith and Fulham, London

Occupation

Midfielder

Biographical Text

Attacking midfielder Caleb Watts, who played for Australia at the delayed 2020 Olympics, joined Exeter City in 2023 after being released by Southampton.  He had previously enjoyed a season-long loan with Morecambe in 2022/23.

Born in London, and having been on the books of Queens Park Rangers when at school, Caleb joined Southampton as a scholar/trainee in 2018. Turning professional the following year, he made his first-team debut in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury Town in January 2021 before appearing in three Premier League games during the same season. Continuing to play for Saints’ under-21 team in 2021/22, he also had a brief injury-hit loan stint at Crawley in the early weeks of 2022 ahead of a more substantial spell at Morecambe in 2022/23 where he appeared in 23 league and seven cup games scoring on three occasions.  

Qualified through his father to represent Australia, Caleb was part of that country’s squad at the 2019 under-17 World Cup in Brazil prior to representing the under-23s in both the qualifying stages and the competition proper at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

Not featuring for Southampton’s first-team beyond 2021, he was released in 2023 and was without a club until joining Exeter City in September 2023. Making a first appearance as a substitute the day after signing, Caleb scored the only goal in the win over Cheltenham Town within nine minutes of taking the field. After just five more games, he suffered an injury which ruled him out for several months before his next appearance at Barnsley at the end of January 2024. Thereafter Caleb's next appearance was as a substitute against Stevenage in April and, after a further game against Port Vale, he started City's final game of the season at home to Oxford United. 

Having made eleven league and cup appearances during his first campaign at St James' Park, Caleb signed a contract extension to cover the first half of 2024/25. Appearing as a 68th minute substitute in the opening game of the season against Rotherham United on 10 August 2024, he repeated the feat of his debut game when he scored the only goal of the match a few minutes later. 

Appearances

Exeter City to end of 2023/24

League 9; Cups 2 (11)

Goals

League 1

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