Maduka Okoye has reflected on the difficult spell he endured at Watford, a period he describes as one of the most testing in his career, before rebuilding his form and reputation with Udinese in Serie A.
The Nigerian goalkeeper, now one of the league’s standout performers, joined Watford in the summer when the club dropped out of the Premier League. He arrived while still recovering from shoulder surgery, and the transition proved far from smooth.
“My time at Watford was challenging, a lot was happening, not only on the pitch but also off it. I was younger and dealing with many things at the same time, including recovering from shoulder surgery. It was a tough period,” Maduka Okoye told Footy-Africa.
Okoye, 26, admitted that the tough phase taught him valuable lessons. He said, “Maybe I didn’t deal with some situations in the best way, but I learned from them and I’ve grown a lot. I got another chance at Udinese, and I took it. I’ve become a better player and a better man.”
Okoye never made a league appearance for Watford before being sent on loan to Sparta Rotterdam, yet his resurgence in Italy has been remarkable. He has cemented himself as Udinese’s first-choice goalkeeper, consistently earning praise for his performances.
His strong form has also attracted attention from English Premier League sides, including Bournemouth, who were linked with him during the last transfer window. Okoye welcomed the speculation but stressed that he remains fully committed to his current club.
“I’m always happy when there are rumours, because it means I’m doing well and that clubs might want to have a future with me. But at this moment, I’m very happy at Udinese. I will give everything for the club, and my focus is fully here. Of course, I also want to take a step forward in my career at some point, but right now my full focus is on Udinese,” he said.
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