Stephen Welsh

Stephen Welsh
Welsh with Celtic in 2021
Personal information
Full name Stephen John Welsh
Date of birth (2000-01-19) 19 January 2000 (age 26)
Place of birth Coatbridge, Scotland
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Swansea City
Youth career
Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2026 Celtic 43 (2)
2019–2020 → Greenock Morton (loan) 15 (0)
2025 → Mechelen (loan) 17 (1)
2025–2026 → Motherwell (loan) 15 (0)
2026 → Motherwell (loan) 12 (1)
2026– Swansea City 8 (0)
International career‡
2016–2017 Scotland U17 8 (0)
2017–2020 Scotland U19 13 (0)
2021–2022 Scotland U21 10 (0)
2026– Scotland 4 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 September 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 7 October 2026

Stephen John Welsh (born 19 January 2000) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL Championship club Swansea City and the Scotland national team.

Club career

Celtic

Welsh began his career in the youth sides at Celtic, stepping up to their development side in 2017, and in March 2018, signed a contract with the club until 2020. Alongside fixtures in the SPFL Development League, he featured for the team in the Scottish Challenge Cup.

On 29 August 2019, Welsh moved on a season-long loan to Scottish Championship club Greenock Morton. He was recalled by Celtic during January 2020. He made his first team debut for Celtic on 2 February 2020, in a 4–1 win away to Hamilton Academical.

On 6 February 2021, Welsh scored the first senior goal of his career with a header from a David Turnbull corner in the opening minutes of a 2–1 league win against Motherwell. On 13 April 2021, he signed a new contract with Celtic that is due to run until 2025. On 9 December 2021, Welsh scored an early header against La Liga side Real Betis in a UEFA Europa League match where Celtic won 3–2 at Celtic Park in their last group-stage game in the competition that season.

On 31 July 2022, Welsh scored the first goal in Celtic's 2022–23 Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen in a 2–0 home win. On 10 January 2022, it was reported that Serie A side Udinese had made a loan offer with an option to purchase attached for Welsh, which Celtic chose to reject.

Ligue 1 side Toulouse made an approach for Welsh during the 2022 summer transfer window. However, Celtic remained uninterested in selling the player as manager Ange Postecoglou saw him as being part of first-team plans.

On 18 August 2023, Welsh signed a new four-year contract with Celtic, keeping him at the club until 2027. During the summer transfer window in 2024, Celtic knocked back a bid for Welsh from Belgian Pro League side Mechelen.

On 9 January 2025, after Mechelen inquired about Welsh for a second time, he moved on loan to the Belgian club for the remainder of the 2024–25 season.

Motherwell (loan)

On 1 September 2025, Welsh joined Scottish Premiership club Motherwell on a season-long loan deal. On 11 January 2026, Celtic's interim manager Martin O'Neill ended Welsh's loan early due to a need for cover at centre back. Two days earlier, Aberdeen had made an approach about signing Welsh permanently.

On 2 February 2026, after making two appearances for Celtic, he was sent back out on loan to Motherwell less than a month after leaving, as a result of Celtic signing Benjamin Arthur as centre back cover. In his first game back at Fir Park, on 11 February, Welsh scored a late equaliser against Rangers to rescue a 1–1 draw.

Swansea City

Despite Welsh having a year left on his Celtic contract, it was terminated early as a gesture of goodwill for his long service to the club. He signed a two-year contract with EFL Championship club Swansea City, with the option of a further year.

International career

Welsh has represented Scotland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels. He captained the under-21 side on numerous occasions. On 10 June 2022, he played his final game for the under-21s against Denmark in a 1–1 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying draw where he faced Celtic teammate Matt O'Riley.

On 15 September 2026, Welsh received his first ever call up to the senior team when he was named in new Scotland manager Sebastien Pocognoli's first squad for the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League. He credited his loan spell with Motherwell for his inclusion in the national side.

He made his debut on 26 September against Slovenia in Ljubljana. He was praised for his performance in the 0–0 draw.

Career statistics

Club

As of 19 September 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celtic U20s 2017–18 N/A —1010
2018–19 —1010
2019–20 —2020
Total 0000004040
Celtic 2019–20 Scottish Premiership 1000000010
2020–21 Scottish Premiership 161200030211
2021–22 Scottish Premiership 100302191242
2022–23 Scottish Premiership 4100101061
2023–24 Scottish Premiership 100300010140
2024–25 Scottish Premiership 1000100020
2025–26 Scottish Premiership 1010000020
Total 4329041141704
Greenock Morton (loan) 2019–20 Scottish Championship 151300000181
Mechelen (loan) 2024–25 Belgian Pro League 171———171
Motherwell (loan) 2025–26 Scottish Premiership 1500020—170
Motherwell (loan) 2025–26 Scottish Premiership 121———121
Swansea City 2026–27 EFL Championship 800000—80
Career total 1105120611811467
  1. ↑ Includes Scottish Cup & FA Cup
  2. ↑ Includes Scottish League Cup & EFL Cup
  3. ↑ Appearances for Celtic under-20s/21s in the Scottish Challenge Cup in which age-restricted sides from the Scottish Premiership clubs compete against senior clubs.
  4. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  5. ↑ 2 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, 6 appearances / 1 goal in the UEFA Europa League, 1 appearance in the UEFA Conference League
  6. 1 2 Appearances in the UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 6 October 2026
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland 202640
Total40

Honours

Celtic

References

  1. ↑ "Squad List 2026/27 & U21 Registered Contract Players" (PDF). English Football League. 8 September 2026. p. 38. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 October 2026. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Stephen Welsh player profile". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Stephen Welsh Celtic player profile". celticfc.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  4. ↑ Henderson, Mark (13 March 2018). "Stephen Welsh signs new contract with Celtic". Celtic F.C. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  5. ↑ "Disappointment for 10-man Celtic Colts in Irn-Bru Cup". Celtic F.C. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "ANNAN ATHLETIC V CELTIC COLTS". Annan Athletic F.C. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  7. ↑ Hendry, Mark (29 August 2019). "Celtic youngster Stephen Welsh joins Greenock Morton on season-long loan". Evening Times. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  8. ↑ "STEPHEN WELSH RECALLED BY CELTIC". gmfc.net. Greenock Morton F.C. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Celtic beat 10-man Hamilton to move seven clear". Sky Sports. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  10. ↑ PA Media (6 February 2021). "Welsh and Édouard goals earn Celtic win as Hatem Elhamed set to leave club" – via The Guardian.
  11. ↑ "Stephen Welsh: Celtic defender signs new four-year contract until 2025". Sky Sports. 13 April 2021.
  12. ↑ FC, Celtic. "Celtic – Real Betis | 9 Dec 2021". Celtic FC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "Celtic 3–2 Real Betis: Hoops win final group game but injuries for Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Celtic 2–0 Aberdeen: Stephen Welsh and Jota score as the Scottish Premiership champions impress in opener". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  15. ↑ Joseph, Anthony. "Stephen Welsh: Celtic reject approach from Udinese for defender after Serie A club enquire about an initial loan deal". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Joseph, Anthony (24 July 2022). "Stephen Welsh: Toulouse make enquiry for Celtic defender". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Stephen Welsh delighted to commit his future to Celtic". www.celticfc.com. Celtic FC. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "Celtic against allowing fringe player wanted by Belgian club to leave on loan". Celtic Way. 6 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Stephen Welsh is tweede Aanwinst" [Stephen Welsh is second acquisition] (in Dutch). Mechelen. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  20. ↑ Gibson, Scott (1 September 2025). "Stephen Welsh arrives on loan from Celtic". Motherwell F.C. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  21. ↑ Irvine, David (11 January 2026). "Celtic trigger option to cut short season-long loan deal for Stephen Welsh". The Herald. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  22. ↑ Club, Motherwell Football; Gibson, Scott (7 January 2026). "Stephen Welsh: This doesn't feel like a loan".
  23. ↑ Burns, Scott (9 January 2026). "Aberdeen approach Celtic for Stephen Welsh transfer but face 3 major hurdles". Daily Record.
  24. ↑ McPheat, Nick (2 February 2026). "Stephen Welsh's Motherwell return for 'unfinished business' as Tawanda Maswanhise stays". BBC Sport.
  25. ↑ Petrie, Andrew (11 February 2026). "Motherwell 1–1 Rangers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  26. ↑ Welsh to leave Celtic this summer, skysports.com
  27. ↑ PA Sport (10 June 2026). "Stephen Welsh ends his long association with Celtic by joining Swansea". STV News.
  28. ↑ "Defender Stephen Welsh to join Swansea City". www.swanseacity.com. 10 June 2026.
  29. ↑ Mair, Steven (28 March 2022). "Celtic defender Stephen Welsh calls Scotland under 21 defeat 'worst at any age'". Daily Record. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  30. ↑ Walton, David (5 June 2022). "Celtic defender Stephen Welsh captains Scotland U21s to clean sheet in Belgium". 67 Hail Hail. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  31. ↑ "Scotland's Welsh relishing U21 battle with O'Riley". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  32. ↑ "Denmark 1–1 Scotland (Jun 10, 2022) Final Score". ESPN.
  33. ↑ Perovic, Edward (15 September 2026). "Scotland Name 28-Man Squad as Former Celtic Defender Gets Call-Up". HEAVY.
  34. ↑ "Stephen Welsh credits Motherwell loan for Scotland call-up | Glasgow Times". www.glasgowtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
  35. ↑ Canavan, Amy (26 September 2026). "Slovenia 0–0 Scotland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  36. ↑ Anderson, Lewis (26 September 2026). "Scotland debutant sees 'many' promising signs in Slovenia stalemate as returning striker rues miss". The Scotsman. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  37. ↑ Stephen Welsh at Soccerway
  38. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  39. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  40. 1 2 3 "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  41. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  42. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  43. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  44. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  45. 1 2 "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  46. 1 2 3 "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  47. ↑ "Games played by Stephen Welsh in 2026/2027". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  48. ↑ "Dundee United 1–1 Celtic: Ange Postecoglou's side reclaim league title". BBC Sport. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  49. ↑ Watt, Martin (7 May 2023). "Heart of Midlothian 0–2 Celtic: Ange Postecoglou's side seal back-to-back titles". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  50. ↑ "Celtic crowned Scottish champions with game to spare". BBC Sport. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  51. ↑ Duncan, Thomas (3 June 2023). "Celtic 3–1 Inverness CT: Ange Postecoglou's side win Scottish Cup to claim treble". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  52. ↑ "Celtic leave it late to beat Rangers and win Scottish Cup". Reuters. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  53. ↑ "Hibernian 1–2 Celtic". BBC Sport. 18 December 2021.
  54. ↑ Moffat, Colin (26 February 2023). "Kyogo strikes twice as Celtic beat Rangers in final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  55. ↑ Cassidy, Peter (15 December 2024). "Celtic beat Rangers in penalty shootout to win League Cup after dramatic final". news.stv.tv. Retrieved 15 December 2024.