Connor Smith has his eyes fixed on the Premiership
Delvin’s Connor Smith is confident that him and his Watford team mates will be replacing the cut and thrust of the Sky Bet Championship for the more refined climes of the Premiership next season.
It’s been a roller coaster few years for 20 year old midfielder who was spotted by the Hornets after finishing runner up in Sky TV’s reality show Football’s Next Star in 2010. After impressing for non-league Wealdstone during the 2011-2012 season, and helping them to an FA Trophy final, he signed his first professional contract with Watford in May of last year.
But after making his debut in last August’s victory over Crystal Palace, his progress was hampered by a series of injuries.
This season he has already made four appearances, including two starts in the Capital One Cup, and told the Westmeath Examiner that he is enjoying life under Gianfranco Zola at Vicarage Road.
“He’s been unbelieveable,” he said. “He was an incredible player and I always like watching him play. He’s a really good man manager telling players when the do well and will what you need to work on. He will also stay back after training and work with you individually.”
Best known as an attacking midfielder, Zola has asked Smith to play a more defensive role this season and he is enjoying the challenge.
“I don’t really care what position I play in in midfield. I have played in the centre of midfield for the reserve and youth team and while last year I was playing a more attacking role, this year I’m playing holding midfielder. You’ve got sit and be more disciplined defensively and try and get on the ball as much as possible.”
Smith was a member of the Republic of Ireland U19 squad that reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2011. He earned his first U21 cap when he came on in last month’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Germany in Sligo.
While they were handed a footballing lesson by the highly rated Germans, he believes that the future is bright for Ireland’s young guns.
“I was happy with my performance (against the Germans) but obviously not the result,” he said. “Germany are a top side and I’m not sure that I have played a better team than them. We have a good group of lands and its basically the same squad as the one that played in the U19 championship in 2011. We know we have a good team and can go far.”
On the club front this season the ambitious young midfielder, who played on the same Mullingar Athletic underage team as Westmeath’s John Heslin, international athlete Jake Byrne and Leinster and Ireland rugby player Conor Gilsenan, has two clear objectives – to get more games and win promotion to the premiership. After narrowly losing out on promotion last year, this Watford currently lie fifth in the table.
“Any team can beat any other team in the championship. Last year we were on a good run and then lost to Barnsley and Peterborough who were scrappy for relegation,” Connor remarked
“This year there are so many teams like Wigan, QPR and Reading that are trying to get promoted but we are doing better than the same period last year.”
Rodney Farry