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Blackburn Rovers sign striker Tony Watt from Charlton Athletic

Friday 29 January 2016 22:03, UK

Tony Watt of Cardiff
Image: Tony Watt in action for Cardiff City earlier this season

Blackburn Rovers have signed former Celtic striker Tony Watt from Championship rivals Charlton Athletic.

The 22-year-old has moved to Ewood Park on loan until the end of the season, with a view to making the move permanent in the summer.

If all the paperwork is processed in time, he will go straight into the Rovers squad for Saturday's FA Cup match at Oxford United.

Watt told the Rovers website: "I'm delighted to sign. It was a no brainer when I had the chance to join and hopefully I can stay here for as long as possible.

"Blackburn is a massive club and I just want to play at the highest level that I can. We've got a very good squad - a squad that I've seen at close quarters - and I wouldn't have signed if I didn't think I could do something here.
"When I spoke to the manager, he said all the right things and he sold it to me straight away. He wants me to play free, to work hard and he wants to make me a better player, and that ticked a lot of boxes for me. He's been a big player at Celtic and that's the club I support, so obviously I respect him highly."

Watt scored eight goals in 34 appearances for Celtic including the winner, when he was 18, in a famous 2-1 Champions League victory over Barcelona in November 2012.

Image: The definitive moment of Watt's embryonic career on November 7 2012

After leaving Glasgow, he spent time in Belgium with Lierse and Standard Liege before joining Charlton in January last year. He spent two months on loan at Cardiff this winter.

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FIFA transfer regulations prevent a player featuring for more than two clubs in the same season but because Watt joined Cardiff on an emergency loan, he is free to sign for Rovers.

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