Watford and Udinese accord flourished, resulting in an £8 million Derby County transaction.

The team had a number of excellent strikers throughout that time, Troy Deeney being the most prominent.

Matej Vydra was another player, though, who might have gone unnoticed. The attacker achieved remarkable results during his two distinct stints at the club, ceding him a place in Championship annals.

Due to his performance and Watford’s consistency in the Premier League, he finally left for Derby County, where he remained a threat in the lower division.

Even though he is nearing the end of his career and is unlikely to visit England again, he will always be able to look back on his time at Vicarage Road with nostalgia.

Vydra stuns the Championship

Watford signed a number of Udinese players in July 2012 in an attempt to take advantage of a legal loophole pertaining to signings from a single club by the Pozzo family, the club’s new owners.

One player in particular stood out in Vydra after an incredible 12 players were brought in on loan. He made an instant impression in the Championship, helping Gianfranco Zola’s team win 3-2 at Crystal Palace after coming off the bench to help score the equaliser and then scoring the winner in stoppage time.

Just two weeks later, he scored once more in a convincing 2-0 victory over Birmingham City, solidifying his spot in the squad.

The forward and his strike partner Deeney remained a serious threat, but the Christmas season was when he was at his best.

Three days before Christmas Day, he added his second double of the year to help the Hornets defeat Nottingham Forest 2-0. After that, Vydra helped Watford maintain their play-off push with a run of nine goals and three assists in seven games.

Regretfully, during the next sixteen games, Vydra only scored one goal. But in the playoffs, when it counted most, he delivered.

In the second leg of one of the most notorious play-off semifinals ever, he scored twice, albeit Deeney’s incredible late winner partly overshadowed his efforts.

Yet, they would not have made it to Wembley to play Palace a week later if it weren’t for the striker, who was born in the Czech Republic.

After defeating Ian Holloway’s team to start the season, Vydra and his teammates were unable to repeat the victory this time around, losing to a penalty kick from Kevin Phillips in extra time.

The attacker returned to Udinese as a result, having netted an incredible 22 goals in 44 Championship and Play-off games.

Vydra returns to Vicarage Road

In the summer of 2014, Vydra returned to Watford on loan following an ineffective loan stint in the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion.

Resuming his play in a Watford shirt, the attacker scored in a 3-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers on his second club debut.

This again established the tone. Vydra didn’t quite reach his 2012–13 season totals, but he didn’t have to because Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo combined for an incredible 41 goals.

This shouldn’t take away from the adaptable forward’s 16 goals and six assists, though, as they were still vital to a campaign that saw promotion.

In the penultimate game of the season, Watford’s promotion was formally guaranteed thanks to a goal by Vydra in the ninetieth minute, which may be appropriate given the reasoning behind this move. Watford defeated Brighton 2-0.

Vydra’s Championship success earned Watford profit

Watford decided to extend the striker’s loan once he was promoted, as he left Udinese after five years of service.

A few weeks later, he joined Reading in the Championship after being loaned out by the Royals, who reportedly paid £2.5 million to sign him on a temporary basis.

Regretfully, he didn’t have the best season with the Royals, scoring just nine goals total—six of which came in the FA Cup.

This would seem to have lowered his asking price, but Watford sold him to Derby the following summer in a clever business move.

One of Watford’s most profitable ventures ever, the £8 million they earned increased the total earnings from his temporary and permanent transfers above £10 million. Vydra was a huge financial contributor to the team, but he was also a standout player who made 95 unforgettable outings for the Hornets, solidifying his reputation as a “streets won’t forget” player.

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