WATFORD CAP
Hornets switch lands Chalobah England call
MARCO SILVA unveiled the brochure, with Nathaniel Chalobah as the cover shot, and the message read like an election manifesto.
Come to Watford, and you can play for England within a month.
Two games after leaving Chelsea, where his home-grown talents were in danger of withering on the vine, Chalobah, 22, was called into the England squad and has been catapulted into the frame for a World Cup place in Russia.
Hornets head coach Silva commended his midfielder’s brave decision to quit Stamford Bridge in search of regular firstteam football and celebrated the immediate impact it has had on Chalobah’s career.
And he believes the pathway is now clearer for frustrated English youngsters who cannot see a way past the blockade of expensive imports at big Premier League clubs.
Watford High Street is a melting pot of humanity every Saturday night, but Chalobah’s fast track to England recognition suggests it is no longer a road to nowhere.
Silva (above) said: “He took an important choice in his career when he left Chelsea to come here.
“He was a young boy with a lot of years at Chelsea and it wasn’t easy for him to take this decision – but he took it. I hope in the future everyone will see he took the right decision. “It is important not only for the boy himself but for the club and the fans as well. It shows we made a good move in the market. “Now we need to keep working with him, and others, to help more players achieve these goals and targets like Chalobah. “But we have to be calm and we can’t put all this pressure on him - his last game was only his third start in the Premier League.” Watford made a promising start under Silva, with four points from their two opening games, but crashed out of the Carabao Cup to Bristol City and had Jose Holebas sent off, ruling him out of today’s visit by Brighton.
Albion’s record signing Jose Izquierdo is set to make his debut at Watford.
The Colombia winger joined from Bruges for £13.5million but boss Chris Hughton said: “Yes, he can score goals but I’m conscious we can’t heap so much responsibility on just one player. Jose will be part of a team ethic.”