Sean Dyche breaks silence on potential Watford return | OneFootball

Former Watford player and manager Sean Dyche has ruled out the prospect of returning to the club to replace Ed Still.

Watford are expected to be on the lookout for a new head coach once again, with Ed Still set to leave the club after their final game of the season against Coventry City on Saturday.

The 35-year-old was only appointed as Hornets boss in February, succeeding Javi Gracia at Vicarage Road.

However, things haven’t gone to plan for Still, and it has been reported that a decision has already been made as Watford prepare for what they hope will be a promotion push in the 2026/27 campaign.

Sean Dyche will not be returning to Watford as head coach

Given Watford’s disappointing season, there will be pressure on the hierarchy to get this decision right, and fans will be intrigued to see which direction the club will go.

But, one man who won’t be taking the job is Sean Dyche. The ex-Everton chief has a connection to the club, as he was a Hornets player for three years towards the end of his career, and he also managed the club in the 2011/12 season, before he was sacked following the Pozzo family buying the club.

So, a return never seemed likely, and Dyche made it clear to TalkSPORT that he will not be the next Watford boss.

“I loved being at Watford, I had a brilliant time as a player there, an assistant manager, youth team coach, manager. But no, I wouldn't (go back), no.”

Watford can’t afford to repeat their Ed Still mistake going forward

It’s no surprise that Dyche wouldn’t go back to Watford, as there are multiple reasons why it would be a shock, not least that he may feel his CV warrants his next job to be in the Premier League.

So, this update won’t come as a surprise, and he is unlikely to have even been a realistic candidate in the eyes of the board.

But, they will be drawing up a list of contenders, and it remains to be seen whether they will go for a head coach with EFL experience, which is something that hasn’t been a priority in the past.

Clearly, the decision to turn to Still backfired, as, whilst he had been a head coach in Belgium, he was arriving in England with no major managerial background, and he hadn’t worked in the Championship.

It’s hard to predict what the Pozzo family will do, and we know that they have a history of changing the head coach regularly, but the fans are understandably growing increasingly frustrated at the way the club is operating.

On paper, they have a decent squad, but that’s something else that needs to be addressed, so a huge summer awaits for Watford.

In an ideal world, the managerial situation will be sorted relatively quickly, and they must aim to bring in the bulk of their new signings as quickly as possible, so the next boss can try to hit the ground running.

Now, it’s a case of getting the Coventry game out of the way, and then the hard work starts for the Hornets, as they look to ensure they are pushing for a top eight finish next season.