Super Eagles stars get new coach ahead of next season

Should they stay at Vicarage Road next season, at least five Nigerian players are set to play under a new coach

Watford have appointed a new coach ahead of next season.

The Hornets’ relegation to the Championship is all but sealed after a terrible run of games saw them condemned

William Troost-Ekong, Samuel Kalu, Maduka Okoye, Oghenekaro Etebo and Emmanuel Dennis are all on the payroll of the Hornets and at least two of them may play in Watford next season.

Kalu and Okoye joined in January and may be facing life in the Championship.

The current manager of Forest Green Rovers, Rob Edwards has been announced as manager of the side.

This was announced in a statement released by the club on Wednesday.

“Watford Football Club is delighted to confirm the appointment of Rob Edwards as its new Head Coach, effective after the conclusion of the current 2021/22 season, ” the club said.

“Rob had a contractual provision allowing him to leave Forest Green Rovers at any time to discuss employment opportunities at other clubs and the Hornets are delighted to confirm our discussions concluded today.

“Rob joined Forest Green Rovers as Head Coach in 2021, where his attractive brand of football took the Gloucestershire side to the top of Sky Bet League Two – winning the division earlier this month for the first time in the club’s history. His efforts were recognised by the EFL when he collected the League Two Manager of the Season award.

“His debut in the professional game came just after his 20th birthday and was handed to Rob by none other than the late, great Graham Taylor OBE for Aston Villa in December 2002. A successful playing career including the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackpool was cut short by injury after just over a decade.

“Rob quickly moved into coaching roles, initially within the Wolves academy. He led the Under-18 and Under-23 sides, while also experiencing an interim spell in charge of first-team affairs in 2016.

“Success with Wolves’ Under-23s saw Rob win promotion to the Premier League 2, the highest division in English youth football, and his stock rose further as both Head Coach of England’s Under-16 side and a coaching role in the Young Lions’ Under-20s set-up.”