Louie Watson has signed his first professional contract with West Ham United.
The talented attacking midfielder is a creative player capable of opening up the tightest of defences, as he has shown regularly since joining the Irons at the age of 12.
Now 18, Watson has been rewarded with his first pro deal and it targeting a regular place in the Hammers’ Premier League 2 side next season.
If you’re being the best you can be every day and do things properly, in training and in games, it will come together in your performances
Louie Watson
“It’s a great achievement,” said Watson, a Republic of Ireland U18 international. “Me and my family are really happy with what I have achieved and now I’ve got it I’ve got to work harder on and off the pitch to get to where I want to be and that’s the Premier League.
“It’s the first contract and hopefully the first of many, so I’ve got to push on. I hope to have a strong season with the 23s next season and ultimately get to the first team.
“It’s all about how you do and how you present yourself on and off the pitch. If you’re being the best you can be every day and do things properly, in training and in games, it will come together in your performances and that’s the main part of it for me, really.”
Watson has trained with the first-team squad on occasion in recent months and said that experience, alongside working with the likes of Jack Collison, Steve Potts and Carlton Cole at the Academy, have inspired him to follow the lifestyle required to make it to the top.
“It’s every Academy player’s dream to play in the Premier League and training and being around the first-team squad enables you to see their habits and what they have to do to get there and stay there,” he said. “You’ve got to feed off what they do, on and off the pitch, and hopefully get a chance and then grab it with both hands when it comes.
“I’m working closely with Jack Collison, who is my mentor, going through my clips, working on extras and analysing my training sessions and games to get the best out of me. That has been very important to me, helping me to learn and repeat new movements, skills and tricks to help me better myself.”
As a player, Watson possesses the gift of flair that footballers crave, and he hopes his talent will be enough to follow his heroes Kevin De Bruyne and Manuel Lanzini to the pinnacle of the game.
“Playing in that No10 position, I feel like I can open up defences, I can beat players, score goals and assist goals,” he observed. “That’s where I want to be when I get to the top. Players like De Bruyne and Lanzini are the best at what they do and who I want to be like when I’m older, breaking down defences and dominating teams. That’s what I want to be doing.”
On signing his contract, the teenager thanked his family for their support, including father Steve, captained Farnborough against Arsenal in the FA Cup in 2003 and enjoyed a long career in the semi-professional game.
“My family have taken me to training every day and been by side since day dot, so I’d like to thank them, as well as my coaches and everyone who has helped me in my career so far, and hopefully will do so for many years to come,” he concluded.