As one of the most respected names in the world of European Football, Gino Pozzo has made a name for himself as the owner of the English Premier League football team, the Watford Football Club. Originally founded in 1881 as the Watford Rovers, Watford F.C. has enjoyed a long and historic place in the Premier League competition, notably reaching the 2019 FA Cup Final before falling short of their championship aspirations.
With 2019 in the rearview mirror, Gino Pozzo and Watford F.C. are looking to the young and inspiring talents of Maduka Okoye to set the tone for the Pozzo era going forward. A 22-year-old goalie with limitless potential, Watford has to look all the way back to Scott Loach for a similar experience, and sports fans know how that worked out.
Young in Goal: The Future of Maduka Okoye
Young aspirational talent in the goalie net can be a huge influence on the future growth potential of a young team. Watford has already paid Okoye (22) a sum of 5m pounds to operate as goalkeeper and he’ll look to keep the position after the loss of Ben Foster in the offseason.
Okoye is a Nigerian international athlete who has gotten right to work in the training arena to prepare for his starting gig. Working alongside the Hornets training staff, the newest Super Eagle goalkeeper has big plans for the future. The elevation of Okoye to his position between the sticks marks a change in Gina Pozzo’s operating norms.
According to Adam Leventhal, “Pozzo’s preference was experience: first Manuel Almunia, then Heurelho Gomes, and, more recently, Ben Foster.”
Only in his early 20s, the 6’5 Maduka Okoye creates a large and imposing presence between the goalie sticks for Watford F.C. Okoye is coming off his own successful season behind Foster where he spent time helping Rotterdam to stay competitive in the Eredivisie.
Gino Pozzo and the Future of Watford FC
Gino Pozzo was born and raised in Italy to businessman Giampaolo Pozzo. Beginning his career in football during his 20s, Pozzo would develop his skills as a talent scout with a keen eye for future stars. Pozzo would eventually head to America where he would attend and graduate from the Harvard Business School.
Upon returning to Italy after graduation, Pozzo would take the reins of the Watford Football Club, following in his father’s footsteps. Gino would move from Italy to France during this period of his life and it was then that he decided to help rejuvenate the Watford team from its status as a perennial and poorly managed loser into something more impressive.
Understanding that Watford F.C. is more than an overnight challenge, Pozzo has fallen in love with his work as well as the city itself. While Pozzo understands that there is a ton of work left to do, their 2nd Place Finish in the EFL Championship in 2020/21 was a clear indicator that things were starting to turn around.