Stephen Welsh
![]() Welsh with Celtic in 2021 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | [1] | 19 January 2000||
Place of birth | Coatbridge, Scotland[2] | ||
Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Celtic | ||
Number | 57 | ||
Youth career | |||
Celtic | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2019– | Celtic | 41 | (2) |
2019–2020 | → Greenock Morton (loan) | 15 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2016–2017 | Scotland U17[1] | 8 | (0) |
2017–2020 | Scotland U19[1] | 13 | (0) |
2021–2022 | Scotland U21[1] | 9 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 March 2022 |
Stephen Welsh (born 19 January 2000) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Scottish Premiership club Celtic.
Club career
[edit]Welsh began his career in the youth sides at Celtic, stepping up to their development side in 2017, and in March 2018, signed a contract with the club until 2020.[3] Alongside fixtures in the SPFL Development League, he featured for the team in the Scottish Challenge Cup.[4][5]
On 29 August 2019, Welsh moved on a season-long loan to Scottish Championship club Greenock Morton.[6] He was recalled by Celtic during January 2020.[7] He made his first team debut for Celtic on 2 February 2020, in a 4–1 win away to Hamilton Academical.[8]
On 6 February 2021, Welsh scored the first senior goal of his career with a header from a David Turnbull corner in the opening minutes of a 2–1 league win against Motherwell.[9] On 13 April 2021, he signed a new contract with Celtic that is due to run until 2025.[10] On 9 December 2021, Welsh scored an early header against La Liga side Real Betis in a UEFA Europa League match where Celtic won 3–2 at Celtic Park in their last group-stage game in the competition that season.[11][12]
On 31 July 2022, Welsh scored the first goal in Celtic's 2022–23 Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen in a 2–0 home win.[13] On 10 January 2022, it was reported that Serie A side Udinese had made a loan offer with an option to purchase attached for Welsh, which Celtic chose to reject.[14]
In the summer transfer window, Ligue 1 side Toulouse made an approach for Welsh. However, Celtic remained uninterested in selling the player as manager Ange Postecoglou saw him as being part of first-team plans.[15]
On 18 August 2023, Welsh signed a new four-year contract with Celtic, keeping him at the club until 2027.[16]
International career
[edit]Welsh has represented Scotland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels.[1] He captained the under-21 side on numerous occasions.[17][18] On 10 June 2022, he played his final game for the under-21s against Denmark in a 1–1 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying draw where he faced Celtic teammate Matt O'Riley.[19][20]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 18 May 2024[21]
Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Celtic U20s[a] | 2017–18[22] | N/A | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
2018–19[23] | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
2019–20[24] | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
Celtic | 2019–20[24] | Scottish Premiership | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2020–21[25] | Scottish Premiership | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
2021–22[26] | Scottish Premiership | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9[c] | 1 | 24 | 2 | |
2022–23[26] | Scottish Premiership | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
Total | 41 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 66 | 4 | ||
Greenock Morton (loan) | 2019–20[24] | Scottish Championship | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
Career total | 56 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 88 | 5 |
- ^ Appearances for Celtic under-20s/21s in the Scottish Challenge Cup in which age-restricted sides from the Scottish Premiership clubs compete against senior clubs.
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
- ^ 2 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, 6 appearances / 1 goal in the UEFA Europa League, 1 appearance in the UEFA Conference League
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
Honours
[edit]Celtic
- Scottish Premiership (4): 2019–20, 2021–22,[27] 2022–23, 2023–24
- Scottish Cup (2): 2022–23,[28] 2023–24
- Scottish League Cup (2): 2021–22,[29] 2022–23
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Stephen Welsh player profile". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Stephen Welsh Celtic player profile". celticfc.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ Henderson, Mark (13 March 2018). "Stephen Welsh signs new contract with Celtic". Celtic F.C. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "Disappointment for 10-man Celtic Colts in Irn-Bru Cup". Celtic F.C. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "ANNAN ATHLETIC V CELTIC COLTS". Annan Athletic F.C. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ Hendry, Mark (29 August 2019). "Celtic youngster Stephen Welsh joins Greenock Morton on season-long loan". Evening Times. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "STEPHEN WELSH RECALLED BY CELTIC". gmfc.net. Greenock Morton F.C. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ "Celtic beat 10-man Hamilton to move seven clear". Sky Sports. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Celtic see off spirited Motherwell for consecutive league wins". BBC Scottish Football. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Stephen Welsh: Celtic defender signs new four-year contract until 2025". Sky Sports. 13 April 2021.
- ^ FC, Celtic. "Celtic - Real Betis | 9 Dec 2021". Celtic FC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Celtic 3-2 Real Betis: Hoops win final group game but injuries for Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Celtic 2-0 Aberdeen: Stephen Welsh and Jota score as the Scottish Premiership champions impress in opener". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Stephen Welsh: Celtic reject approach from Udinese for defender after Serie A club enquire about an initial loan deal". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Stephen Welsh: Toulouse make enquiry for Celtic defender". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Stephen Welsh delighted to commit his future to Celtic". www.celticfc.com. Celtic FC. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ Mair, Steven (28 March 2022). "Celtic defender Stephen Welsh calls Scotland under 21 defeat 'worst at any age'". Daily Record. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Celtic defender Stephen Welsh captains Scotland U21s to clean sheet in Belgium". 67 Hail Hail. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Scotland's Welsh relishing U21 battle with O'Riley". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "%competition_name% (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ Stephen Welsh at Soccerway
- ^ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Dundee United 1–1 Celtic: Ange Postecoglou's side reclaim league title". BBC Sport. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Duncan, Thomas (3 June 2023). "Celtic 3–1 Inverness CT: Ange Postecoglou's side win Scottish Cup to claim treble". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ "Hibernian 1–2 Celtic" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
External links
[edit]- 2000 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Coatbridge
- Scottish men's footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- Scotland men's youth international footballers
- Celtic F.C. players
- Greenock Morton F.C. players
- Scottish Professional Football League players
- Scotland men's under-21 international footballers