Three Young Players Sign On

In the past week no less than three youngsters have signed deals with the club.

Striker Alex Jakubiak signed a two-year deal with Watford last Friday, midfielder George Byers then signed for two years on Tuesday, with Luke O’Nien also signing a one-year extension to his current deal on the same day.

Alex Jakubiak is a prolific forward who is coming to the end of a two-year scholarship with the club in partnership with the Harefield Academy. Speaking to the Hornets Player following the news, Jakubiak was very clearly pleased, but remained humble, quietly dropping into the interview, ‘I’ve scored 24 in 24, I think,’ when talking about his goalscoring form this year.

The 17-year-old made his full debut in the final game of last season, a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Huddersfield that the young man will have mixed emotions over, given the performance of those around him on the pitch and the eventual result.

The Hornets have an option to extend Jakubiak’s deal by a year, should the club decide to keep him on.

Fellow second year scholar George Byers has been with the club for almost 11 years, joining at the age of seven. His professional deal with the club appears to be the same as Jakubiak’s, with the midfielder signed up for two years with an option of a further additional year.

The youngster may be known to many Watford fans already, having scored an excellent long range goal against Norwich in the FA Youth Cup earlier in the season. A recording of the goal is available to watch online on the official Watford FC YouTube channel, and has been watched over 15,000 times.

Finally, Luke O’Nien signed on for a further year following his original single-year deal signed last summer.

The 19-year-old midfielder has struggled to break into the first team this season, having only made a single appearance from the bench in the closing stages of a home victory against Barnsley.

However, O’Nien is a hardworking and gifted player who has been praised on several occasions by Head Coach Beppe Sannino. His attitude and work ethic are central to the youngster’s presence in the squad, and his industry and talent away from the first team has earnt him the right to challenge for a second year.

Luke O’Nien should also be a familiar name to fans who keep up to date with the club’s YouTube channel. His 478 tennis ball kick-ups were filmed and uploaded to the channel, and the video, which is almost five minutes long(!), has been watched no less than seven and a half thousand times.