{{Short description|Footballer (born 1995)}} {{for|the New Zealand track cyclist|Callum Saunders (cyclist)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Callum Saunders | image = | fullname = Callum Luke Saunders<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/documents/pages-from-fl-professional-retain-list-free-transfers-2014-15-2.pdf-...549-2491536.pdf |title=The Football League Limited: Club list of registered players as at 16th May 2015 |publisher=The Football League |page=46 |date=16 May 2015 |accessdate=20 June 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053003/http://www.football-league.co.uk/documents/pages-from-fl-professional-retain-list-free-transfers-2014-15-2.pdf-...549-2491536.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1995|9|26}}<ref name="11v11">{{cite web | title = Callum Saunders | url = http://www.11v11.com/players/callum-saunders-242591/ | publisher = 11v11 | accessdate =9 May 2016}}</ref> | birth_place = Istanbul, Turkey | height = 1.78 m<ref name="11v11"/> | position = Forward | currentclub = Nantwich Town | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2014 | youthclubs1 = Crewe Alexandra | years1 = 2014–2017 | clubs1 = Crewe Alexandra | caps1 = 27 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2017–2018 | clubs2 = Notts County | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2018–2019 | clubs3 = Nantwich Town | caps3 = 36 | goals3 = 10 | years4 = 2019 | clubs4 = Curzon Ashton | caps4 = 16 | goals4 = 2 | years5 = 2019–2021 | clubs5 = Nantwich Town | caps5 = 27 | goals5 = 3 | years6 = 2021–2022 | clubs6 = Witton Albion | caps6 = 36 | goals6 = 17 | years7 = 2022 | clubs7 = Ashton United | caps7 = 21 | goals7 = 6 | years8 = 2022–2023 | clubs8 = Stafford Rangers | caps8 = 14 | goals8 = 4 | years9 = 2023– | clubs9 = Nantwich Town | caps9 = 21 | goals9 = 4 | nationalyears1 = 2014 | nationalteam1 = Wales U19 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | nationalyears2 = 2015 | nationalteam2 = Wales U21 | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | club-update = 14:48, 20 December 2022 (UTC) | nationalteam-update = 11:35, 13 February 2024(UTC) }} '''Callum Luke Saunders''' (born 26 September 1995) is a footballer who plays as a forward for semi-professional Northern Premier League Division One West side Nantwich Town. Born in Turkey, he represented Wales internationally at youth levels U19 and 21.
==Club career== Saunders began his career in the Crewe Alexandra Academy and signed a professional contract with the club in June 2014.<ref>{{cite news|title=Callum Saunders signs first pro contract at Crewe Alexandra|work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27713121|access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> He made his Football League debut on 9 August 2014 in a 2–1 defeat away at Fleetwood Town,<ref>{{cite news|title=Fleetwood 2-1 Crewe|work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28646624|access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> and scored his first Crewe goal at Doncaster on 12 December 2015.<ref name=Donny>{{cite news|title=Doncaster 3-2 Crewe|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35013806|access-date=13 December 2015|work=BBC Sport|date=12 December 2015}}</ref> On 9 May 2017, Crewe announced that Saunders had been released by the club.<ref>[http://www.crewealex.net/news/article/2016-17/crewe-alexandra-retained-list-2017-3711163.aspx Crewe Alexandra Retained List 2017], CreweAlex.net. Retrieved: 9 May 2017</ref>
He then signed for Notts County at the beginning of the 2017–18 season but was released at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44216750|title=Notts County: Shola Ameobi and Alan Smith leave League Two club|date=22 May 2018|accessdate=24 May 2018|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>
Saunders signed for Northern Premier League side Nantwich Town on the eve of the 2018–19 season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk/player/callum-saunders|title=Callum Saunders player profile|accessdate=29 Aug 2018|publisher=nantwichtownfc.co.uk}}</ref> scoring 10 goals in 36 games, before joining Curzon Ashton in the summer of 2019.<ref name="Curzon">{{cite web |title=Curzon Ashton first team profiles |url=http://www.curzon-ashton.co.uk/teams/mens-first-team |website=Curzon Ashton FC |accessdate=29 November 2019}}</ref> He then returned to Nantwich Town in November 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Signing: Dabbers Welcome Back Saunders On Dual-Registration |url=https://www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk/signing-dabbers-welcome-back-saunders-on-dual-registration/ |website=Nantwich Town FC |date=18 November 2019 |accessdate=22 April 2022}}</ref>
He signed for Northern Premier League Premier League side Witton Albion on a free transfer in September 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenpl.co.uk/saturdays-transfer-list-september-11th-2021-67383|title=Saturday's Transfer List - September 11th 2021|date=21 July 2021|publisher=Northern Premier League|first=James|last=Gordon}}</ref>
Saunders signed for Ashton United in June 2022.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1534248912965578752|user=AshtonUnitedFC|author-link=Ashton United F.C.|date=7 June 2022|accessdate=15 June 2022|title=𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬, 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦!👋 #AUFC are delighted to announce the signing of prolific striker Callum Saunders! He notched 18 @NorthernPremLge goals for @WittonAlbion last campaign; proving to be a first class capture for @clegg_mc's squad! #ONECLUB}}</ref> On 19 December 2022, Saunders left Ashton United by mutual consent and joined Stafford Rangers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.staffordrangersfc.co.uk/callum-saunders-signs-for-the-boro/|title=Callum Saunders signs for the Boro|website=www.staffordrangersfc.co.uk|date=19 December 2022|accessdate=20 December 2022}}</ref> He returned to Nantwich Town ahead of the 2023–2024 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Callum Saunders returns to the Dabbers |url=https://www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk/callum-saunders-returns-to-the-dabbers-23/ |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=Nantwich Town F.C.}}</ref>
==International career== Saunders has represented Wales at under-17 and under-19 level,<ref>{{cite web|title=Men U19 v Montenegro | url=http://www.faw.org.uk/news/Men-U19-v-Montenegro-Game-2-Drawn/96481/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140425002340/http://www.faw.org.uk/news/Men-U19-v-Montenegro-Game-2-Drawn/96481/ | url-status=usurped | archive-date=25 April 2014 | publisher=FAW |accessdate=20 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Wales 3 Greece 0 | url=https://www.uefa.com/under19/match/2013471--wales-vs-greece/ | publisher=UEFA |access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref> and made his under-21 debut on 17 November 2015, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute against Romania.<ref name=UEFA>{{cite web|title=Wales 1–1 Romania|url=https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2016228--wales-vs-romania/|website=UEFA|access-date=15 December 2015}}</ref>
==Personal life== Saunders was born in Istanbul when his father, former professional footballer Dean Saunders, was playing for the Turkish club Galatasaray.<ref>{{cite web|title=Player Profile|url=http://www.crewealex.net/team/player-profile/callum-saunders/10|website=crewealex.net|accessdate=26 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202045311/http://www.crewealex.net/team/player-profile/callum-saunders/10|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|match played 3 December 2022}}<ref name="Soccerbase">{{cite web|title=Callum Saunders|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=76800|website=Soccerbase|accessdate=2 January 2018}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other{{efn|Includes Football League Trophy.}} !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="4"|Crewe Alexandra||2014–15||rowspan="3"|League One||4||0||1||0||0||0||1||0||6||0 |- ||2015–16||18||2||1||0||0||0||0||0||19||2 |- ||2016–17|||5||0||1||0||2||0||2||0||10||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !27!!2!!3!!0!!2!!0!!3!!0!!35!!2 |- |Notts County||2017–18||League Two||3||0||0||0||0||0||3||0||6||0 |- |Nantwich Town||2018–19||Northern Premier League||36||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||36||10 |- |Curzon Ashton||2019–20||National League North||16||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||16||2 |- |rowspan="4"|Nantwich Town||2019–20<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/nantwich-town/appearances/2019-2020/callum-saunders/801097|title=Nantwich Town | Appearances | Callum Saunders | 2019-2020 | Football Web Pages|website=www.footballwebpages.co.uk}}</ref>||rowspan="3"|Northern Premier League||11||2||0||0||0||0||3||5||14||7 |- ||2020–21<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/nantwich-town/appearances/2020-2021/callum-saunders/801097|title=Nantwich Town | Appearances | Callum Saunders | 2020-2021 | Football Web Pages|website=www.footballwebpages.co.uk}}</ref>|||5||0||2||2||0||0||4||3||11||5 |- ||2021–22<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/nantwich-town/appearances/2021-2022/callum-saunders/801097|title=Nantwich Town | Appearances | Callum Saunders | 2021-2022 | Football Web Pages|website=www.footballwebpages.co.uk}}</ref>|||5||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||5||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !21!!2!!2!!2!!0!!0!!7!!8!!30!!12 |- |Curzon Ashton||2021–22<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/witton-albion/appearances/callum-saunders/931340|title=Witton Albion | Appearances | Callum Saunders Football Web Pages|website=www.footballwebpages.co.uk}}</ref> |Northern Premier League||36||17||1||0||0||0||2||1||39||18 |- |Ashton United |2022–23<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/ashton-united/appearances/callum-saunders/938571|title=Ashton United – Appearances – Callum Saunders|website=www.footballwebpages.co.uk|accessdate=20 December 2022}}</ref> |Northern Premier League |21||6||2||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||24||6 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !160!!39!!8!!2!!2!!0!!16!!9!!186!!50 |}
{{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerbase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Callum}} Category:1995 births Category:Living people Category:Welsh men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Welsh people of English descent Category:Footballers from Istanbul Category:Crewe Alexandra F.C. players Category:Notts County F.C. players Category:Nantwich Town F.C. players Category:Curzon Ashton F.C. players Category:Witton Albion F.C. players Category:Ashton United F.C. players Category:Stafford Rangers F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Northern Premier League players Category:Wales men's youth international footballers Category:Wales men's under-21 international footballers Category:21st-century British sportsmen