Watford Manager Hails Super Eagles Striker Emmanuel Dennis

Tom Cleverly, the manager of Championship side, Watford, has described out-of-favour Super Eagles of Nigeria striker, Emmanuel Dennis, as a player with an “explosive burst”.

The Watford manager said this after Emmanuel Dennis helped the former Premier League club beat Birmingham City at St Andrew’s stadium last weekend.

During the game on Saturday, March 16, Dennis took advantage of a defensive error in the 44th minute to gift Watford their first Championship win in five games.

The goal from the 26-year-old Nigeria international did not only gift Watford a 1-0 win over Birmingham City, it pushed them to the 13th spot on the league table with 48 points in 38 games.

“We know that Dennis has got that explosive burst. As a defender, you can think you’re comfortable on the ball, and then he appears from nowhere,” Cleverly said.

“We said to the players we thought we would create chances through high regains. We didn’t win as many as I’d like but the one that mattered went in. He’s been nursing a small groin issue, so it was always in my mind that he wouldn’t complete the game. He’s done well to get to an hour and score the winning goal.”

Note that Emmanuel Dennis who wasn’t selected for the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2023 AFCON squad, first joined Watford from Club Brugge on July 1, 2021.

About a year later, he moved to Nottingham Forest for a transfer fee worth €14.80 million on August 13, 2022.

On January 24, 2024, he returned to Watford on loan and the loan deal is expected to expire on May 31, 2024.

Since he returned to the club, Emmanuel Dennis has scored three goals in 11 games in all competitions.