Watford’s Best Non-English Players of All Time

Over Watford’s long history, many of the best players who have graced the club have been English and many have even represented the Three Lions internationally. Some, however, have come from beyond the English borders and these players are the ones we want to celebrate here. In this article we will look at the nine best international players who have worn Watford’s famous yellow shirt, ordered by season they first joined the club.

Pat Jennings

Jennings makes this list mainly for what he did after Watford, rather than his time at Vicarage Road as he only made 52 appearances for the Hornets before moving to Tottenham. He showed so much quality in this brief stint to convince the Londoners to splash out £27,000 on him – a decent fee at the time. He also got called up for Northern Ireland during his year at Watford, in which he played every available club match. The incredible shot-stopper went on to make 119 appearances for Northern Ireland and is widely regarded as one of the best keepers of his generation.

John McClelland

Two-time Watford player of the season McClelland may have played for Watford decades ago but he had many of the qualities of a modern-day defender. He had an exceptional reading of the game, could play out from the back and knew when to push forward to intercept. As Northern Ireland captain he also boasted great organisational skills and would regularly lead by example. It comes as little surprise that he got snapped up by a top division side following Watford’s relegation and he made 18 appearances for Leeds as they won the First Division title in 1991/92.

Heidar Helguson

Helguson became Watford’s record signing when arriving from Norwegian side Lillestrom SK for a £1.5m fee. Although not the most naturally gifted of players, he was worth every penny of that sum due to his relentless work rate and solid goalscoring record. For a man who was far from a particularly tall striker at 1.78cm, he was very useful in the air too and would regularly outjump defenders. This fan favourite was warmly welcomed back on his loan return in the 2009/10 season, where he managed to add another 11 Watford goals to his total, putting him up to 66.

Allan Nielsen

Graham Taylor spent £2.5m to bring Allan Nielsen to Watford in the summer of 2000, at the time a club record fee. The midfielder represented a fair risk as a result but the former Tottenham man delivered on his fee as he showed his international class for the Hornets across 100 appearances. Still playing for Denmark for much of his time at Watford, the former Danish Player of the Year reached 44 international caps. Very few players in the second tier of English football could boast such an international pedigree.

Adrian Mariappa

Although London-born, Mariappa chose to represent Jamaica at international level so he still just about qualifies for this list. While playing a whopping 340 times for Watford, he enjoyed a run of 119 consecutive league appearances in his first stint, then the fourth-longest streak in the club’s history. Born just down the road at Harrow, the local lad captained Watford at under-18, reserve and first-team level, helping to make him a fan favourite. His quality on the pitch helped a great deal too as he was so solid and reliable, particularly in the 2011/12 season which saw him named Watford Player of the Season.

Etienne Capoue

Not all Watford fans rate this player but he deserves more credit than some are willing to give. For much of his time at Watford, Capoue provided a dominant physical presence in the middle of the park. Although he excelled more at the defensive part of the game, he did chip in with 14 goals for the Hornets across 181 appearances. What perhaps shows his underrated quality even more is that after leaving Watford in 2020, he played regularly for Villarreal in the Spanish top flight, before deciding to switch sports to basketball in 2024.

Roberto Pereyra

Perhaps a slightly controversial entry here due to his inconsistency but on his day, Roberto Pereyra was such an unbelievable talent. The Argentine was not the sort of player to shine week in and week out but he had patches during his four years at Watford during which he was almost unplayable due to his technical brilliance. It is this which helped him regain his slot in a very competitive national team as he represented Argentina nine times in 2018 and 2019.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

With Doucoure, what Watford got was not only a very useful player but one who was able to play almost every available minute. After his first season, in which he was not a favoured option, Doucoure started all but three league games across the next two campaigns and was only subbed off twice. He even made 36 league appearances during his final season at Vicarage Road. Not the most technically gifted but a true workhorse in the middle of the park who could win the ball back and contribute with goals. His tally of seven in 2017/18 made him the club’s top goalscorer that year (which doesn’t say a lot for his attacking teammates!).

Gerard Deulofeu

Very few players have managed to get Watford fans off their seats as regularly as Gerard Deulofeu did. The incredibly skilful Spaniard would regularly dazzle the crowd at Vicarage Road with his speed, neat touches and close control. It is perhaps fitting that the Barcelona academy graduate, given his talents, became the first Watford play ever to score a Premier League hat-trick. His most memorable goal, however, was his delightful scooped effort in the FA Cup semi-final against Wolves in 2019.