RIERA ON LOAN

Former Galatasaray winger Albert Riera joined Italian outfit Udinese on a short-term deal till the end of the season. He left the Turkish outfit in the January transfer window and has been looking for new club since then.

Immediately after joining Udinese, he has returned to England with Championship club Watford. This has been made possible because of the cooperation between Udinese and Watford for the last few years. Since they are owned by the same company, the two clubs have been exchanging players for the benefit of all parties involved.

Former Liverpool winger Riera, thus, returns to England where he spent a couple of years. He was initially signed by former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez for around £ 8 million, but he never made the impact people expected of him. Liverpool were not the first club to introduce him to English football, as he previously played for Manchester City as well. The 31-year-old will be providing a wealth of experience to the youngsters at Watford, who believe that they still have a chance of finishing in the play-offs.

Despite only a handful of matches remaining in the campaign, Watford are just seven points behind Reading in the final play-off place. After having not suffered a defeat in the last four matches, momentum is with Watford. Depending upon how the loan spell progresses, Riera could extend his stay at the championship outfit. During the course of his career, he has played in several leagues like Spanish, English, and Greek before experiencing Turkish league only recently.

Watford have also been boosted by the news that defender Lloyd Doyley has decided to extend his contract until 2016. He is the club’s longest serving player amongst the current crop after having made more than 400 appearances. He is also sixth in the all-time list.