Leeds United striker Sam Dalby joins Watford for an undisclosed fee. Played just five minutes on loan at Morecambe last season. Two-year deal with the option of a third
He's probably from the south originally given that Leeds signed him from Leyton Orient only in Jan 2018. He'd already played 800 minutes of first team football at Orient before Leeds signed him and sent to Morecambe - scoring one goal and gaining three assists in the process. Here's his debut goal (the first one of the match): He also scored in a friendly for Leeds last summer vs York. Here it is: Appears to have a good left foot. I'd be tempted to start him ahead of Deeney already.
You can see more of him in this video, number 30. He gets 2 assists in this match (2nd and 3rd goals). Does really well for his 2nd assist in particular. He was just 17 in this match as well, and the pitch is a shocker: He gets his other assist here at 1:20 - good strength for a headed flick-on.
I've heard Javi is on the look out for people who can remember all those charts with where everyone has to stand at corners. You can name your price! (Presumably 20 guineas or similar.)
I dunno, when have you ever seen Troy glide passed players like Dalby does for his second assist vs Newport?!
Just realised that the guy he assists for vs Plymouth is our very own Gavin Massey. The guy he assisted for twice in the Newport game is also still just 20 and just got bought by Huddersfield, Josh Koroma.
Richard Thomas and Omer Riza will know him for their Orient days, which has probably helped get him the move. Rare for us to take a 'punt' on a young English player though whilst paying a small fee - Ikpeazu being the last? Decent article on him here: https://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co...lby-leyton-orient-christmas-feature-1-5829842
The kid's got a very powerful strike; when he shoots the noise reverberates around the whole stadium.
Liked for the ambition. Could we be about to see a youngster break into the first team? Dalby the day.
This is certainly an odd transfer, time will tell the reason he has been brought in, could have been homesick up north, could have been because our staff know him from being associated with him previously, or because they feel he does have a chance at eventually making it. Whatever the reason welcome to our club Sam! It appears we have decided to sign other players cast offs for the under 23's this summer which doesn't send out a very good signal to the lads and their parents in the lower age groups, are they not good enough coming through the ranks?
Could be all three. Unlike some of the others we've signed for the u23s, Sam doesn't appear to be a cast-off exactly. Maybe he wasn't getting any opportunities at Leeds yet, but he still had one year left on his contract there. As for the lads in the lower age groups, we already just let loads of players go from the last batch of u23s. Also, the plan appears to be to have our development squad play matches against a high level of "reserve team" type opposition, probably featuring a decent proportion of senior players, as an intermediate point between youth games and first-team games, in which case many of the younger lads just might not be ready for that yet. The club are probably gambling on/hoping for, perhaps just one or two of these random punts that have been brought in to the development squad kicking-on and eventually being able to make the step-up to the senior squad, with the rest being let go every couple of seasons, then rinse and repeat - in which case they won't be blocking the pathway for current u18 players hoping to make the step up.
Watford Football ClubVerified account @WatfordFC That's one way for a new signing to impress! A 3-3 draw with German side @RBLeipzig_EN And a hat-trick for Sam Dalby Well done Sam. A hat-trick for the U23's
Dalby the day, nice one, here's mine... In the tune of sir Elton's Saturday night....Dalby, Dalby, Dalby nights alright for shooting get a little action in.
You're both Blinding Me With Science! I saw him once in Leighton Buzzard I think. Magnus Pyke was there too!