Championship star forced to take £500 taxi to match after frustrating 15,620-mile round trip

Watford defender, took a TAXI to Plymouth after travelling 15,620 miles without playing a single minute during the international break.

The Chilean centre-back was an unused substitute in the Hornets’ 0-0 draw with Peru in Lima and 4-2 victory over Venezuela in the South American World Cup qualification group.


And, after returning to Heathrow early on Thursday morning, Watford manager Tom Cleverley dispatched Francisco Sierralta straight to his club’s overnight base in Devon to recuperate ahead of Friday night’s Championship game against Plymouth.

The 230-mile journey will cost the Hornets approximately £500, but Cleverley believes it was a better bet than summoning the 6ft 3in monster back to the training ground for a quick debrief. Sierralta flew from London to Lima to Santiago, and then back to Britain, without kicking a ball in anger for Chile.
Cleverley wants to be ready to face Wayne Rooney’s Pilgrims at Home Park following his sting in the tail – all 50mph limits on the M4 and M5.

The Watford manager stated, “It’s a situation I’ve never seen before in my career, where you’ve got a player going straight to the team hotel without a training session.”

“He flies at Heathrow this morning and will take a cab straight down to Plymouth, and we’re sending a physio down there to work with him and assist relieve the strain on his legs and back.

“It will be strange seeing him for the first time when I get in Plymouth. He’s a crucial player for us, so we’re working to give him the best chance of being in peak shape.”
Watford are sixth in the Championship, despite being pre-season relegation favourites, and have been the surprise package of the season after an alarming deterioration under Cleverley’s predecessor, Valerien Ismael, transformed them into a doubtful package.

However, the Hornets have only won away from home twice: against Millwall on the opening day and in a six-goal blitz at Sheffield Wednesday, where Vakoun Bayo scored four goals.

Bayo maintained his strong month with scoring his first international goal for the Ivory Coast in a 4-0 victory over Chad in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *