https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=32771 Watford are on the verge of announcing the signing of promising Nigerian winger Joseph Hungbo.
He looks like he was once highly rated, but have we ever picked up a released player at this stage in their career who has gone on to be a big success?
That's a good question, I am struggling to think of one youngster we have picked up after being released by another club who has done well for us!
I thought they had stopped selling it on Amazon because they deemed the pins used could harm a small child!
Young stars Jayden Bennetts and Emmanuel Adebiyi as well as first-teamers Isaac Success and Stefano Okaka have been retained by Watford for the 2019-2020 season. Some good news in there, somewhere
'He was one of the best young players at Palace Academy, winning the club's Under 9-16 Player of the Year award in 2016.' An unusual age bracket. The u9s would be too busy trying to burn butterflies using a magnifying glass to upstage the u16 lads.
It all started with that player released by Newcastle we picked up about 20 years ago, forget his name, good shot, poor attitude. Was going to tear up the championship. Didn’t.
Ryan Noble and Uche Ikpeazu were others... Both came with reputations as free scoring youngsters from Sunderland and Reading. Soon realised why they never threatened a First XI.
Ended up in jail, I think, for supplying class A drugs to support his gambling habit. Sounds like a case of a football club (Newcastle, in this case) giving youngsters far too much money and not teaching them how to use it sensibly in case they don't make it as professional footballers
Ashikodi(?) also. Supposed to be a great prospect but "troubled" and had moved from club to club as a youngster. Pulled a knife on a teammate at Millwall or Rangers I recall. Disappeared into the non leagues after time at Shrewsbury I think ? Geoff Pitcher too. Young prospect picked up from Millwall, scored on his debut for us against them, but then disappeared into the ether....
He can't be far off having the record for most clubs played for...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Ashikodi
Pretty sure Heurelho Gomes, Manuel Almunia were out of contract when we signed them? Also Fitz Hall did pretty well when fit and Cassetti...