Ryan Watts (footballer)

Ryan Dale Watts (born 18 May 1988) is an English retired semi-professional footballer who played as a left back or left winger.

Watts began his career in the Football League at Brentford and dropped into non-League football upon his release in 2006. He made nearly 300 appearances for a number of National, Isthmian and Southern League clubs before his retirement in 2015.

Brentford
Watts began his career as a youth at Brentford. He was the leading appearance maker and joint-leading scorer for the U17 team during the 2003–04 season. Watts was part of the Brentford youth team which beat Arsenal in the third round of the 2004–05 FA Youth Cup. He scored in extra time to level the score at 2–2 and send the tie to penalties. Watts' first involvement with the first team came on 7 May 2005, when he was named as a substitute in a youthful squad for the final League One game of the 2004–05 regular season at home to Hull City. The then-16-year-old Watts made his senior debut after 78 minutes of the 2–1 win, as a substitute for Matt Harrold. He failed to feature during Brentford's unsuccessful playoff campaign.

Watts made his first appearance of the 2005–06 season in a 5–0 League Cup defeat at Cheltenham Town on 23 August 2005, as a substitute for Paul Brooker after 74 minutes. He made another appearance in a Football League Trophy first round shootout defeat to Oxford United on 18 October, as a substitute for George Moleski (who in turn had replaced Eddie Hutchinson during the first half) during extra time. Watts was not called into the first team again and was released in June 2006. He made three first team appearances during his time at Griffin Park.

Non-League football
After two unsuccessful trials at Championship club Ipswich Town, Watts appeared sparingly for Isthmian League Premier Division and Conference South clubs AFC Wimbledon and Sutton United during the first half of the 2006–07 season. Watts transferred to Isthmian League Premier Division club Carshalton Athletic in January 2007 and made 39 appearances, scoring one goal, before transferring to Isthmian League Premier Division club Harrow Borough on 25 August 2008. He had a successful 2008–09 season and was voted the club's Player's Player Of The Season and Supporters' Player Of The Year. In the 2010–11 season, Watts played in Harrow's 2–0 FA Cup first round defeat to Chesterfield and suffered heartbreak as the club lost to Tonbridge Angels in the playoff semi-finals. By the time of his departure in August 2011, Watts had made 108 appearances and scored 9 goals.

Barnet
Wells made a return to the Football League when he signed a one-month contract at League Two club Barnet on 2 August 2011. He failed to win a call into a squad and was released at the end of his contract.

Return to non-League football
Watts transferred to Southern League Premier Division club St Albans City in September 2011 and made 61 appearances, scoring three goals, prior to transferring to Conference Premier club Braintree Town on 17 December 2012. Featuring mainly as a substitute, he made 11 appearances during the remainder of the 2012–13 season and helped the club fight its way from the relegation places to a 9th-place finish. Watts spent the 2013–14 season with Conference South club Tonbridge Angels, for whom he made 29 appearances and scored one goal.

Watts dropped a division to sign for Isthmian League Premier Division club Metropolitan Police in July 2014. He made 9 appearances before transferring to Conference South club Wealdstone in mid-September 2014. Watts made 39 appearances during 14 months at Grosvenor Vale, before departing the club due to injury problems and work commitments.

Personal life
Watts has a son and works as a gym instructor and nutritionist.

Honours

 * Harrow Borough Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09
 * Harrow Borough Supporters' Player of the Year: 2008–09