'WATTO' joined Albion on a free transfer from Everton in July 2005 when he put pen to paper on a three-year Hawthorns deal.

He more than lived up to his 'utility player' tag during his first season at the club, filling in across midfield and at centre-half but mostly battling it out with Martin Albrechtsen for the right-back slot.

Despite being plagued by niggling injuries, Watson played in all but eight of Albion's Barclays Premiership encounters, scoring in a 2-1 defeat by his former club Villa at The Hawthorns in January, 2006.

Albion's subsequent relegation from the Premiership in May 2006 activated a two-way get-out clause in Watson's contract. This meant either the player could leave Albion or the club could release the player.

However, both Watson and the club decided his future lay at The Hawthorns and he signed a new two-year deal in July 2006.

The former England Under-21 international came through the ranks at Newcastle and broke into the first-team when he was just 16.

After making more than 250 appearances and scoring 14 goals for the Magpies, the North Shields-born player made a £4million switch to Villa in October 1998.

He played 54 times, including three substitute appearances, for the claret-and-blue club before signing for the Toffees in a £2.5million move in July 2000.

The highlight of Watson's Toffees career was a 25-minute hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Leeds in September 2003, adding to the 13 other goals he notched in 136 appearances, including 22 from the bench, for the Merseyside club.