#PLStories- Southampton youngster Caleb Watts signs contract to extend stay #SAINTSFC

SAINTS youngster Caleb Watts has signed a new contract to remain with the club until 2023. The 19-year-old’s current deal was expiring at the end of this season and he has put pen to paper to commit a further year, after making his Premier League debut during the last campaign. Watts has been a regular for the B team this season, scoring a superb volley against Arsenal in the Premier League Cup after returning from a summer with Australia’s Olyroos side at the Olympics. He joined Saints from QPR back in 2018, and now looks to remain settled and build on his four on-pitch senior experiences with the club. After signing his deal, Watts told the club website: “I’m really pleased to get the deal signed and can’t wait for the next stage of my career now. “The club has a great track record of developing players and obviously I can benefit from that. So hopefully I can get into the matchday squads again and continue that tradition. “It was exciting to get into the matchday squads and play within two or three months. It’s a lot of motivation to show the manager you’re good enough, you just have to show it consistently. “I just want to pick up as much senior experience as possible, try and get into the manager’s plans and see what happens.” Watts is considered to be one of the top prospects within the academy system at the moment, and is highly fancied for a future with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team. Pleased by the boost, academy Director Matt Hale said: “Caleb has been a consistent and strong performer for our B Team this season. “He is someone we think very highly of and through a really robust individual development plan which we have in place for him, we believe can go on to achieve great things with us. He has had some excellent experiences so far in his young career, not least representing his country in the recent Olympics in Tokyo.”