Real Madrid youngster ‘fancies the Premier League’ with Watford

Harry Kewell says plans are afoot to increase the club’s pool of Under-21 players, a process that began by offering a trial to a former Real Madrid youngster this afternoon.

Through a combination of injury and call-ups to the first team for tomorrow tonight’s Capital One Cup tie at Preston North End, Watford had to field some scholars who played for the Under-18s two days earlier and could only name four subs against a bigger, stronger and more experienced Palace side. They lost 6-2. It could have been more.

There has been talk that part of Gino Pozzo’s next plan includes identifying top young talent from untapped areas of the foreign market and bringing them into Watford’s youth set-up. Kewell has his own Academy in Australia and Frank Berghuis, the father of Steven, has experience of developing young players.

“Things are happening,” said Kewell. “We are still in the window and the club are working on their stuff but, yes, it would be fantastic to have more players in so we can work on a system which gives everyone confidence. Yes, we could get trialists but then you’ve got my back four playing with different midfielders every week. That isn’t an ideal.”

Being overpowered and on the end of a hiding on a filthy Monday afternoon at Tooting & Mitcham FC was about as far from the dream of playing at the Bernabeu you could get for Francisco Montávez, the 19-year-old Spanish midfielder.

“We got a call about him and he fancies the Premier League so we got him in for a couple of weeks,” said Kewell. “He looks a good little player and can play one more week. Then we’ll see.”

On first impression, albeit in conditions completely unsuited to slick midfield interplay, Montávez (pictured below walking off at half time in yellow boots) will not be providing a threat to Etienne Capoue or Valon Behrami any time soon. He would not even have made a best composite XI of the two sides who played today.

“The conditions weren’t great but at least he wanted to get on the ball,” said Kewell of the pint-sized midfielder who has been in the Real Madrid Academy since 2008.

He got better as the game progressed, pinging a nice pass from the centre of the field to Dennon Lewis on the right and navigating his way out of a tight midfield exchange with two more physically imposing Palace midfielders. He was replaced after 70 minutes, meaning Ashley Charles, the first-year scholar, was at least able to go home and say he replaced a Real Madrid player in the second half.

Why did Kewell join Watford as Under-21 coach? Click below