Emma Watson (footballer)

Emma Watson (born 28 January 2006) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Women's Super League club Manchester United and the Scotland national team.[1]

Emma Watson
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-01-28) 28 January 2006
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Manchester United
Youth career
2012–2017 Boroughmuir Thistle
2017–2021 Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Rangers 39 (2)
2023– Manchester United 0 (0)
International career‡
2019 Scotland U15 2 (1)
2020 Scotland U16 2 (3)
2022 Scotland U17 4 (1)
2023– Scotland 4 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 August 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:06, 18 July 2023 (UTC)

Watson began her professional career with Rangers in 2021 and left the club two years later.

Club career

Rangers

A pupil at Broughton High School, Edinburgh, Watson spent five years with Boroughmuir Thistle before joining the Rangers girls' academy.[2] She moved up to the Rangers first team at the age of 15, making her senior debut on 15 August 2021 as a 65th-minute substitute for Demi Vance in a 5–0 win over Motherwell in the 2021 Scottish Women's Premier League Cup.[3][4] She scored her first senior goal for the club in the same competition on 29 August 2021 in a 4–0 win over Boroughmuir Thistle.[5] She made 12 league appearances during the 2021–22 Scottish Women's Premier League season as Rangers claimed their first title.[6] She was nominated for the 2021–22 Youth Player of the Year at the Scottish Women's Football Awards but lost out to teammate Mia McAulay.[7] On 9 August 2022 she signed a professional contract with Rangers.[8][9]

Watson was named in a match squad in the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time on 18 August 2022 as an unused substitute in the first round semi-final against Ferencváros. She made her debut in the first round final against PAOK three days later where she came on as a 73rd-minute substitute. In the second round first leg against Benfica she made another appearance, coming on in the 70th minute. In the second leg, she again came off the bench after 57 minutes and scored with three minutes of normal time remaining to take the game to extra time. The Portuguese champions scored twice in extra time to progress to the group stages of the tournament.[10][11] In December 2022 she was introduced as a substitute in Rangers' win over Hibernian in the SWPL Cup final.[12] The 2022–23 season concluded with Watson being named as PFA Scotland Women's Young Player of the Year. Rangers relinquished their league title with a home defeat to Glasgow City on the final matchday[13] and also lost to rivals Celtic in the 2023 Scottish Cup Final. It was the first Old Firm women's final and also the first final to be played at Hampden Park.[14] Watson left Rangers as a free agent in June 2023 upon the expiration of her contract.[15]

Manchester United

On 25 August 2023, Manchester United announced the signing of Watson.[16] On 27 September 2023, the club announced that Watson had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while on international duty.[17]

International career

Watson has represented Scotland at under-15, under-16, and under-17 levels.[18] She was called up to the Scotland senior team for the first time for a friendly double header against Australia and Costa Rica in April 2023.[19] She made her senior international debut on 7 April 2023 starting in a 1–0 win against Australia at Plough Lane, Wimbledon.[20][21] Four days later, she scored two goals in a 4–0 win against Costa Rica at Hampden Park.[22][23] She scored a third international goal as well as making two assists in her next two caps, friendlies at home to Northern Ireland and away to Finland in July 2023 (while unattached at club level).[24]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 21 May 2023[1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Continental[lower-alpha 3] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rangers 2021–22
 SWPL 1 1201141—172
2022–23 272323131366
Career total 392437231538
  1. Includes the Scottish Women's Cup
  2. Includes the SWPL Cup
  3. Includes the UEFA Women's Champions League

International
Statistics accurate as of match played 18 July 2023
Scotland
YearAppsGoals
202343
Total43

International goals
Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Watson goal.
List of international goals scored by Emma Watson
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref
1 11 April 2023Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland2 Costa Rica1–04–0Friendly[23]
2 4–0
3 18 July 2023Tampere Stadium, Tampere, Finland4 Finland2–02–1[25]

Honours

Club

Rangers

Individual

References
  1. "Scotland - E. Watson - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  2. Dawson, Jack (11 April 2023). "Edinburgh teenager Emma Watson lights up Hampden Park with double for Scotland". Edinburgh News. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  3. "Match Report: Motherwell 0-5 Rangers". www.rangers.co.uk.
  4. @RangersWFC (15 August 2021). "Competitive first-team debut" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 October 2022 – via Twitter.
  5. "Report: Gers Defeat Boroughmuir Thistle On Cup Duty". www.rangers.co.uk.
  6. Heather Miller (8 May 2022). "Rangers Win Park's Motor Group SWPL 1 Title!". www.rangers.co.uk.
  7. "2021/22 MG ALBA SWF Annual Awards". scotwomensfootball.com. Scottisah Woman’s Football. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022. Youth Player of the Year: Mia Scott of Glasgow City, Abbie Fearns of Celtic, Mia McAulay of Rangers, Emma Watson of Rangers
  8. "gers youngsters sign professional contracts". rangers.co.uk. rangers football club. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022. Rangers Football Club are today delighted to confirm that Emma Watson, Jodi McLeary and Kirsty Maclean have all signed professional contracts with the club.
  9. "'Historic milestone' for Ibrox graduates". BBC Sport. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022. A historic milestone" is how Rangers have described three teenagers becoming the first graduates from their girls' academy to be handed professional contracts.
  10. "Women's Champions League: Benfica extra-time double defeats Rangers". bbc.co.uk. bbc. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022. Watson scores with three minutes of normal time remaining
  11. "report Benfica 2–1 (5–3) Rangers". rangers.co.uk. rangers football club. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022. Rangers uefa Women's Champions League journey came to an end this evening with a 2–1 defeat to Benfica in Portugal after extra time.
  12. Report: Rangers 2-0 Hibernian - The Gers Lift The Sky Sports Cup, Rangers FC, 11 December 2022
  13. "Rangers 0 Glasgow City 1 RECAP as Celtic denied SWFL title by last gasp Lauren Davidson goal". Daily Record. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  14. "Celtic retain Scottish Women's Cup at Hampden with victory over Rangers". The Guardian. 28 May 2023.
  15. Dawson, Jack (14 July 2023). "Scotland star linked with Man United move after Rangers exit". Edinburgh Evening News.
  16. "United Women sign Emma Watson". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  17. "United Women's Emma Watson suffers ACL injury". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  18. "Emma Watson | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk.
  19. "Rangers' Watson given first Scotland call at 17". BBC Sport. 29 March 2023.
  20. "Australia 0–1 Scotland: Emma Watson, 17, hailed as 'outstanding' on winning debut". BBC Sport. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  21. Falk, Graham (7 April 2023). "Scotland goalscorer compares teen prospect to Chelsea star after impressive win". The Scotsman. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  22. Lindsay, Clive (11 April 2023). "Scotland 4-0 Costa Rica: Emma Watson, 17, inspires win with first goals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  23. "Scotland Women 4-0 Costa Rica Women: Seventeen-year-old Emma Watson scores two in Hampden thrashing". Sky Sports. 11 April 2023.
  24. "The teenage Scot who could wow England fans soon". BBC Sport.
  25. Southwick, Andrew (18 July 2023). "Finland 1-2 Scotland: Caroline Weir marks 100th cap with goal as visitors continue winning run". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  26. "Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi and Caitlin Hayes win PFA Scotland player of the year awards". BBC Sport. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
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