The closest Watford have to a prodigy is Hoban, an assured centre-back who at 21 and four years after his debut has made 54 league appearances, precisely half of those coming last season. That he was such an important part of a promotion-winning squad is testament to his character as well as his ability: Hoban missed a year’s action from February 2013 to February 2014 after sustaining an ankle injury that required surgery. He has also appeared for Ireland at youth and Under-21 levels and, prior to that period on the sidelines, was linked with a number of top clubs.
Watford have already signed another central defender this summer in Sebastian Prödl, an Austria international, leading Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Charlton among others to attempt to convince Hoban’s employers to allow him to leave on loan, but he certainly has the potential to play in the top flight.
SB