1. Overview
Stephen Welsh (born January 19, 2000) is a Scottish professional footballer who primarily plays as a centre-back. He is currently on loan at Belgian Pro League club Mechelen from his parent club, Celtic.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Stephen Welsh was born on January 19, 2000. He began his football journey within the youth setup of Celtic, one of Scotland's prominent football clubs. His dedication and talent saw him progress through the ranks, eventually stepping up to Celtic's development side in 2017. Demonstrating his potential, Welsh signed his first professional contract with the club in March 2018, committing his future to Celtic until 2020.
3. Club Career
Stephen Welsh's professional club career has been significantly shaped by his time at Celtic, encompassing his progression through the youth system, his first-team debut, various loan spells to gain experience, and notable milestones such as scoring his first professional goals and attracting transfer interest from other European clubs.
3.1. Celtic Youth and Early Professional Career
While part of Celtic's development side, Welsh actively participated in competitive matches, including those in the SPFL Development League. He also gained exposure in the Scottish Challenge Cup, where age-restricted sides from Scottish Premiership clubs compete against senior clubs. These appearances provided him with crucial experience as he prepared for senior professional football.
3.2. Greenock Morton Loan and Celtic First Team Debut
To further his development and gain more first-team experience, Welsh was sent on a season-long loan to Scottish Championship club Greenock Morton on August 29, 2019. His loan spell was cut short when he was recalled by Celtic in January 2020. Shortly after his return, Welsh made his official first-team debut for Celtic on February 2, 2020. This came in an away fixture against Hamilton Academical, which Celtic won convincingly with a 4-1 scoreline.
3.3. Establishing a Role and Transfer Interest
Welsh scored his first senior goal for Celtic on February 6, 2021. This momentous occasion occurred in a Scottish Premiership match against Motherwell, where he netted a header from a David Turnbull corner kick in the opening minutes, contributing to a 2-1 league victory. On April 13, 2021, he signed a new contract with Celtic, extending his stay at the club until 2025. He continued to make an impact, scoring another significant goal on December 9, 2021, with an early header against La Liga side Real Betis in a UEFA Europa League group-stage match at Celtic Park, which Celtic won 3-2.
Welsh further contributed to Celtic's campaigns by scoring the first goal in their 2022-23 Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen on July 31, 2022, in a 2-0 home victory. His consistent performances began to draw attention from clubs outside Scotland. In January 2022, Serie A club Udinese reportedly made a loan offer for Welsh that included an option to purchase, but Celtic chose to reject the offer. Similarly, during the 2022 summer transfer window, Ligue 1 side Toulouse also made an approach for Welsh. However, Celtic, under manager Ange Postecoglou, remained firm in their stance, uninterested in selling the player as he was considered a vital part of the first-team plans.
3.4. Recent Developments and K.V. Mechelen Loan
On August 18, 2023, Stephen Welsh demonstrated his long-term commitment to Celtic by signing a new four-year contract, which secured his presence at the club until 2027. Despite this extended commitment, during the summer transfer window in 2024, Celtic received and subsequently turned down a bid for Welsh from the Belgian Pro League club Mechelen. However, following a second inquiry from Mechelen, a temporary arrangement was reached, and on January 9, 2025, Welsh moved on loan to the Belgian club for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
4. International Career
Stephen Welsh has proudly represented Scotland at various youth international levels, showcasing his abilities on a broader stage. His international career includes appearances for the under-17, under-19, and under-21 national teams. He frequently wore the captain's armband for the under-21 side, highlighting his leadership qualities. Welsh played his final game for the under-21 team on June 10, 2022, in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying match against Denmark, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Notably, during that match, he faced off against his Celtic teammate Matt O'Riley, who was playing for Denmark.
5. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Other1 | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Celtic U20s | 2017-18 | N/A | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2018-19 | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| 2019-20 | - | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Celtic | 2019-20 | Scottish Premiership | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | Scottish Premiership | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2021-22 | Scottish Premiership | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 92 | 1 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2022-23 | Scottish Premiership | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2023-24 | Scottish Premiership | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2024-25 | Scottish Premiership | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 68 | 4 | ||
| Greenock Morton (loan) | 2019-20 | Scottish Championship | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Mechelen (loan) | 2024-25 | Belgian Pro League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Career total | 62 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 95 | 5 | ||
Notes:
- 1 Appearances for Celtic under-20s/21s in the Scottish Challenge Cup, in which age-restricted sides from Scottish Premiership clubs compete against senior clubs.
- 2 Two appearances in the UEFA Champions League, six appearances and one goal in the UEFA Europa League, one appearance in the UEFA Conference League.
- 3 Appearances in the UEFA Champions League.
6. Honours
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership (4): 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24
- Scottish Cup (2): 2022-23, 2023-24
- Scottish League Cup (3): 2021-22, 2022-23, 2024-25
7. External links
- [https://www.celticfc.com/players/stephen-welsh CelticFC profile]