Former Player Remembers: Julian Watts
Born in Sheffield, Julian played for Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday before Martin O’Neill brought him to Filbert Street in March 1996.
His arrival coincided with the great run which took Leicester City to victory in the 1996 Play-Off Final against Crystal Palace. During the following season Julian played against some of the biggest names in the Premier League and helped Leicester reach the League Cup Final.
As a 16-year-old, Julian - the son of a professional footballer whose career was cut short by injury - was playing against men as a midfielder for Frecheville CA in the North East Counties League. A Rotherham United scout, John Breckin, invited him to Millmoor where he trained with YTS apprentices and played in the Intermediate League.
At Brekin’s suggestion, Julian was converted to a centre-back and after playing in the reserves, he made his first team debut in 1990/91.
“In my first season as a professional we were relegated (to Division Four),” Julian recalled. “We were promoted back the following season but then I’d gone to (top flight) Sheffield Wednesday. I’d been on a two week trial at Dave Bassett’s Sheffield United but he decided not to sign me. A week later I went to Sheffield Wednesday on deadline day just before my 21st birthday.
“Wednesday came for me because their young centre-halves Dave Wetherall and Jon Newsome had gone to Leeds United, who were managed by Howard Wilkinson, who had signed them as kids at Wednesday.
“Wednesday’s manager Trevor Francis attracted players like Chris Waddle and John Sheridan. It was a fantastic team with six or seven internationals from various countries like Roland Nilsson, who was one of the best right-backs in the country.
“This made it difficult for me to get into the team. The coach, Frank Barlow, who was great for me, kept saying I would get my chance soon but it didn’t happen. When John Bond at Shrewsbury Town came in for me on loan, I went there and had a cracking time for two months.”
On deadline day, in March 1996, Julian was signed for Leicester City by O’Neill, for a fee that was eventually settled by a tribunal at £210,000.
Explaining how the move came about, Julian continued: “Trevor [Francis] offered me a contract as cover for the first team. When he got sacked (in June 1995), David Pleat replaced him. I told him I’d not had many opportunities and that I needed first team football. He asked me to bear with him so he could have a look at me.
"I played in all bar one of the pre-season games, in the Intertoto Cup and in the first six Premier League games. Then he offered me the same contract that Trevor had offered me as a cover player, it didn’t add up. I ended up on a £350 weekly contract, sometimes playing in the Premier League and sometimes not.
“Throughout the season, David told me that Martin [O’Neill] and his assistant John Robertson were watching me. Just before deadline day (March 1996), I played well in a reserve game at West Brom and a couple of senior players - Steve Nicol and Chris Waddle - said to me: ‘If people are watching you, you should get a move off the back of that performance'.
"The next morning David told me that Martin O’Neill wanted to talk to me. He also told me he really wanted me to stay but my dad and I went to Filbert Street for a chat with Martin.
"It was an easy decision. I wanted to play first team football and Leicester had signed a few players, including Muzzy [Izzet], who I’d never heard of and what a fantastic signing he turned out to be!”
Julian arrived at Filbert Street at a bad time for the Club. Three months earlier, with Leicester City looking well set for promotion to the Premier League, manager Mark McGhee had defected to Molineux. Before Julian arrived at Filbert Street, new manger O’Neill had only won three of his first 13 games.
Julian made his Leicester City debut along with another debutant, the unknown Muzzy Izzet, in the infamous home game against Sheffield United. Following yet another home defeat, the fans turned on O’Neill, who confronted them after the match.
“I had a really poor game on my Leicester debut,” Julian remembered. “We lost and I got a load of stick off the Sheffield fans, it was a bad day all round. We were in the changing rooms after the game and the gaffer disappeared to talk to the protesting fans.”
With Julian an ever-present in the side, Leicester City then won six and drew one of the remaining eight games of the season, just scraping into the play-offs after defeating Watford at Vicarage Road on the last day of the season.
“That Sheffield United game was the turning point because after that our form was really good,” Julian recalled. “We had some fantastic results, it was a rollercoaster. Pooley (Kevin Poole) in goal was fantastic.
“The back four had a real good understanding, me and Walshy (Steve Walsh) really gelled. I’d got Simon Grayson next to me who I got on great with. One of the things that shone through was that as a squad, we got on really well together. We socialised probably a lot more than we should have done and definitely more than you would get away with nowadays.
"We’d come back on the bus with Oasis blasting out, drinking beers and then go into Leicester to drink more beers, we were such a tight unit. When you’ve got that relationship with your team mates, you try harder for them.
“Muzzy scored the winner in the last game at Watford. Whether it was nerves or not, I threw up on the pitch as I came out for the second half. Even when we won we weren’t sure we were in the play-offs until we heard the other results come through.
“The play-off semi-finals against Stoke were the biggest games of my life at that point, I was certainly nervous. Pooley pulled off some great saves in the home leg and Garry Parker scored the winner at Stoke.
"At the end, the Stoke fans came onto the pitch. We were trapped and couldn’t get to the tunnel at first. Lenny (Neil Lennon) finished up just wearing his pants, great memories!
“The final at Wembley against Crystal Palace was the highlight of my career. On the coach to Wembley, Steve Walsh was laughing and joking about how he felt tense and nervous, I was incredibly nervous.
"I’ve a picture at home of us walking out onto the pitch and you can see from the look on my face how much I was panicking, but after about 10 minutes we settled down and despite going behind I think we were the better team on the day, but they were tough opponents.
“We equalised and the match went into extra-time. On that pitch we were all knackered. In the last couple of minutes Zeljko [Kalac] replaced Pooley in goal because in training he could save penalties, I was feeling absolutely knackered.
"Then I made the tiredest jump of all time with a Palace lad for the ball. I think we both sort of headed it at the same time. The ball went to Steve Claridge who put it in the top bag with four seconds to go. Their keeper was transfixed to the spot, Steve’s action totally bamboozled him.
"He’s regretted to this day saying that he shinned it! Then we went absolutely mental, beating Dave Bassett’s side was a bit of karma for me!
“As we went back up the motorway, there were fans hanging blue and white scarves off the bridges. When we got to Sketchley Grange Hotel to celebrate, the fans were in the car park celebrating with us. It was a fantastic party that night celebrating.
"It was a great, great feeling. Also, the club sorted out rooms and a meal for my dad and step mum so they could stay with me and my missus.”
The following season Julian was an ever-present in the side until December, playing against the biggest names in English football. He was also a regular in the run to the League Cup final, although he didn’t play in the final itself.
Thinking back, Julian added: “Steve Walford and Paul Franklin took all of the training, Martin was the motivator. He and Robbo (John Robertson) were good at scouting players. They never took training although sometimes Martin would get us running between points setting us a time target which he randomly pulled out of nowhere!
“I knew during the season that the gaffer didn’t see me as his number one centre-half. My contract said that I would be given a new contract if we got promoted, but that didn’t happen. This put doubts in my mind and it probably affected my form a bit, it was tough mentally for me at that time.
“Then they brought Matty [Elliott] in. We really enjoyed playing together, he was cup-tied for the League Cup. I was very disappointed not to play in the League Cup Final against Middlesbrough at Wembley. Middlesbrough, with Juninho, had recently run us ragged at Filbert Street.
"Pontus (Kåmark) had just got fit again, he was a great man marker. He played at Wembley to man-mark Juninho, with Spencer [Prior] and Walshy at centre-back. You could only have two outfield players as subs so I didn’t even make the bench having played nearly every game, it was tough to take.”
Julian started the next season (1997/98) on loan to Crewe Alexandra, but in September, he was recalled for the famous UEFA Cup game against Atlético Madrid at Filbert Street in September 1997.
“On the Saturday before the Atletico game, I’d played for Crewe," he explained. "Then I was recalled. I remember Steve Walford telling Paul the kit man who is still there now, to go to the training ground and get my shirt because I’d be playing! That was a shock for me, I’d played for Crewe at the weekend!
“We’d lost the leg in Madrid 2-1 but the momentum was with us at home. I was marking Spanish international Kiko, he used to whistle for the ball. I ended up with Spanish international Jose Mari’s shirt, it’s hanging in my office today. We lost 2-0.
"It was an overriding disappointment. We felt cheated (Garry Parker was sent off after taking a free kick too quickly and Leicester were denied at least two penalties). The gaffer was going apoplectic and quite rightly so.”
After a loan spell at Huddersfield Town, Julian left Filbert Street in July 1998 and went to Bristol City on a free transfer, but following a change of management he went on loan to Lincoln City and then to Blackpool before the end of the season.
For the next two seasons, Julian played for Luton Town before moving in 2001 to the Sydney based Northern Spirit in Australia where he sometimes played in front of future Leicester City goalkeeper Paul Henderson.
Julian then returned to England where he was assistant manager at Maltby Main and manager at Hallam, Shirebrook Town and Rainworth Miners’ Welfare.
He concluded by saying: “I look back on my career and think: ’You know what? It’s not been too bad at all. I’ve made some great memories and yes, it’s been really good'.”