Newcastle United youngster Kell Watts says he will start his loan spell at Plymouth Argyle with his confidence brimming - thanks to strong public backing from club captain Jamaal Lascelles.
Watts has signed on a season-long loan deal and is regarded as one of Newcastle's best prospects following on from the emergence of Sean and Matty Longstaff.
Speaking after completing his move to Devon to play for the League One side, Watts said: "Lascelles saying all the good things he was saying about me, it was great to hear, but I want to keep improving, I want to keep getting better.
"One game doesn’t really define a career – I want to come here, play more games, learn off the gaffer. Being in a higher league, I think I’m ready for this next step in my career.
"When I went to York with Newcastle’s first-team, for pre-season, and got told ‘Plymouth really want you, they want you to play in a game on Tuesday against Middlesbrough’, I thought ‘why not? Let’s go do it.’
“I could have gone somewhere closer to home, but I decided to come to Argyle because of the gaffer’s style of play and the fanbase of the club."
Watts stated that Newcastle's loan manager Shola Ameobi informed him of the deal on the table from the Pilgrims.
He said: "In the off-season, I was speaking to my agent and Shola [Ameobi], the loan co-ordinator from Newcastle, mentioned it.
"When I heard that Plymouth were interested, looking into them, the gaffer’s style of play – playing three at the back – it excited me."
