Fernando Forestieri has made a surprise return to English football, signing for sixth-tier Oxford City. The 36-year-old former Watford and Sheffield Wednesday forward has been a free agent since leaving Cypriot club AEL Limassol.

Oxford City, currently third in the National League North, confirmed the signing on Friday evening subject to international clearance. Their manager is Ross Jenkins, a Watford academy graduate who played alongside Forestieri at Vicarage Road until 2014. The veteran forward spent three seasons with Watford, where he was once compared to Lionel Messi and was involved in the build-up to Troy Deeney's famous play-off winner against Leicester in 2013.

Forestieri's career path

After leaving Watford in a £3 million move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2015, Forestieri scored 40 goals in 134 matches for the Owls. He departed English football in 2020 for spells with Udinese in Italy, Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia, and finally AEL Limassol. He spent this summer training at the PFA's free agents camp and stated in August he believed he could still perform at Championship or League One level.

Watford's current context

The news comes as Watford seek a spark in a difficult Championship season. The Hornets sit 20th in the standings with just eight points from eight games, having lost their last two matches. Their recent form shows a concerning lack of goals, with the team having scored only five times in their last six league outings. The current squad has struggled to convert chances, averaging a goal every 90 minutes, which has contributed to their precarious position just above the relegation zone. Their most recent result was a 1-0 defeat away to Bristol City on September 18, a game where they failed to register a single shot on target in the second half.

Forestieri's move reconnects him with familiar faces, as Oxford City's first-team coach Paul Robinson was an opponent during his time at Birmingham City. Watford's focus now turns to their next Championship fixtures, a key home match against bottom-placed Burnley on October 10, where they will be desperate to improve their attacking stats and halt their slide.

Read the full report at Watford Observer