Watts won’t allow the prospect of being a torchbearer for Australian hopes in the Premier League weigh on him.

“It’s a shame there aren’t more Australians here (at this level) but I’m sure there will be others coming along,” he said.

"I don’t think about it (being a rarity whose every move will be followed).

“I just focus on playing football - the more you buy into things, the more stress it brings.

“For me, it’s now about picking up as many minutes as I can before the end of the year.

“There have been a few injuries at the club, and as a young player you need those on your side to get an opportunity.

“The senior players have been really good to me, and in particular (England international) James Ward-Prowse has been helpful in a game situation especially, telling me what to do. That helps to calm any nerves.”

The son of a doctor, Watts has grandparents in Perth and an uncle, aunt and cousins in Sydney.

He speaks with a London twang courtesy of a childhood spent in the working class suburb of Willesden.

Though eligible for England, he’s hoping to follow up his appearance for Trevor Morgan’s Joeys at the U-17 World Cup in 2019 by joining the Olyroos and Socceroos setups.

“I’ll take it as it comes but I definitely want to play for the senior team and the Olyroos,” he added.

“It’s up to the coaches (Graham Arnold and assistant Rene Meulensteen) on who they think will help their team the most and hopefully I’ll be part of future squads.

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2021/01/28/aussie-bolter-watts-savours-surreal-first-steps-premier-league-journey