Blackpool decision handed Watford FC a modern-day hero for £0: View | OneFootball

Craig Cathcart was a popular figure at Vicarage Road, so Watford will be glad that Blackpool released him back in 2014.

Watford will be hoping to repeat the Championship success that they have achieved on two occasions over the last decade.

With former player, Tom Cleverley, at the wheel, the Hornets will be optimistic that they can compete in the top half of the Championship this season, but it will be a tough challenge for sure.

Cleverley knows what it takes to win promotion with Watford, having done so as a player. He played a big part in their second-place finish in the 2020/21 season, often wearing the captain's armband and contributing to six goals.

Now, as a manager, Cleverley will be looking to repeat that feat as Watford fans seem desperate for Premier League football once again.

In the last ten years, the Hornets have achieved promotion from the Championship twice, finishing as runners-up on both occasions.

Their 2014/15 season was a memorable one, as they had endured years of disappointment, and finally made it over the line to secure automatic promotion. One player in particular that joined the club ahead of that season went on to become somewhat of a modern-day legend.

Craig Cathcart spent nine years as a Hornet, but perhaps things would have gone differently if he had not been released in the summer of 2014.

Craig Cathcart arrives at Vicarage Road for the second time

The defender started his career at Manchester United but never managed to earn a first-team appearance as he was sent out on loan on three occasions, which included a brief spell with Watford in 2009. Cleverley followed a similar path, with both players being sent on loan from United to the Hornets in the same summer.

Cathcart made 12 Championship appearances before being signed permanently by Blackpool, who had just earned promotion to the top flight.

The then-21-year-old made his Premier League debut with Blackpool and became a regular starter in defence, making 28 league starts in the 2010/11 campaign. Unfortunately, the Tangerines were unable to achieve safety, but Cathcart would have been glad to have picked up some valuable Premier League experience.

The defender then spent three more seasons with Blackpool in the Championship, and despite being a mainstay in their defence, the club decided to release him in 2014; a decision that Watford will be very happy about in hindsight.

Cathcart went on to re-sign for the Hornets in a deal that cost the club absolutely nothing. He initially signed a two-year deal, but no one could have imagined the impact he would go on to have at the club.

Cathcart's time at Watford

Cathcart has 183 Premier League and 207 Championship appearances under his belt.

Watford's deal for Catchcart turned out to be low-risk, high-reward, as he arrived on a free transfer and ended up being incredibly valuable to the club. At the time of his signing, the Hornets had endured seven years of disappointment, after spending one season in the top flight and struggling to return since.

In that seven-year spell, they reached the play-offs twice and failed, but aside from that, the club was finishing in mid-table, which just was not good enough.

It did take a little while for Cathcart to settle in, but from December 2014, the defender became one of the first names on the team sheet and eventually helped the club achieve promotion to the Premier League in his first season. Seemingly, he was one of the solutions to their Championship struggles.

Watford spent the next five seasons attempting to establish themselves as a top-flight club and Cathcart remained a mainstay in their squad.

He did suffer badly with injuries throughout the 2017/18 campaign, but after that, he went back to being a reliable defensive option.

The Hornets failed to pull up trees in the Premier League, but the 2018/19 season saw them enjoy an unprecedented run in the FA Cup. They managed to reach the FA Cup final against Manchester City and Cathcart played the full 90 minutes.

Watford fell back into the Championship soon after, but with Cathcart still in defence, the club achieved an immediate return to the top flight at the first attempt.

For his part in both promotions and service to the club, which came to an end last summer, he will certainly go down as a modern-day club legend.