Wanderers have lined up their first signing since winning promotion to the Championship with the capture of Scotland U21 international David Watson.
The attacking midfielder has agreed to join Wanderers from Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock and will complete a move once the summer transfer window opens on 15th June.
Long-standing target Watson has reached the end of his current contract at Kilmarnock and has agreed a three-year deal – with an option for a further 12 months – with the Whites after the clubs agreed a compensation package for the highly-regarded 21-year-old.
Prestwick-born Watson has spent all his career to date at Kilmarnock after coming through the youth system from the age of 10 at Rugby Park. He signed a first professional contract with the Ayrshire-based club in September, 2021 before making his senior debut as a 16-year-old in a Scottish Challenge Cup tie a day later.
Following Killie’s promotion at the end of that season, Watson’s league debut came in the Scottish top-flight at Rangers in March, 2023. He went on to make 115 appearances in the SPL – and almost 150 in total – as he helped Kilmarnock re-establish themselves in the Premiership and enjoy a fourth-place finish to qualify for Europe in 2023/24 when the play-maker missed just two league games and was named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year.
Watson had attracted widespread interest in the transfer market and having first been pursued by Wanderers in January is now relishing the prospect of playing in England for the first time and helping the Whites make the step up to the Championship following their League One play-off final success towards the end of last month.
“It's a different challenge for me as I’ve never left Scottish football,” Watson – who has been capped at U21 and U19 level by his country – told Wanderers TV after agreeing his switch to the Toughsheet Community Stadium to start the Whites’ summer squad strengthening.
“I'm really looking forward to it and I can't wait to get started. I absolutely loved my time at Kilmarnock. It's my home club and it will always have a special place in my heart. I loved every minute of being there, but I just felt it was time for me to move on and go and do something different, so I'm really excited to get going.
“I feel like now that I've played 150-odd games I'm ready for something different. You grow up pretty fast when you come through in a changing room as quick as I did so I'm looking forward to going into the changing room (here) and getting to know all the boys and going out there and playing.
“By the sounds of things there's been some really, really good players that have progressed here, so I'm just looking forward to getting back into pre-season and getting training again.
“I’m sure we'll not be here to make up the numbers (in the Championship) and that’s not something that I would want to do either. There's nothing better than playing in a full stadium and in front of great fans that gives you that extra bit of momentum and that extra push to work even that bit harder so I can't wait for that, too.
“It's a new challenge and I can't wait to get going and meet the gaffer and all the boys and get going for pre-season.”
Watson is pictured in Wanderers’ new 2026/27 home kit which is available to pre-order HERE and watch his first interview with the Whites on Wanderers TV