Watford send 4-word message to ex Hornets and Everton star after heartbreaking news

Former Everton and Watford star Gerard Deulofeu has admitted he may never play football again at the age of just 29 years old as he struggles with a potential career-ending injury.

The winger has been sidelined for more than a year with the issue, his last appearance for current side Udinese dating back to January 2023 against Sampdoria. Deulofeu had just returned after missing three league fixtures with a knee bruise to pick up another problem and require surgery.

He told the Jijantes Twitch channel: “For several months I’ve known that I might not play again. I can’t do what I love for a long time, I haven’t played for over a year. I can’t say much, but I’m going through an ordeal. You can’t imagine what I’m going through.

“I’m trying to recover in every way, but I’ve accepted the idea that I may never recover. I had an injury in 2020, my knee was very traumatised, but I managed to recover. I then suffered another injury, for a third time and there were complications.

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“I can’t say much because I have an agreement with my club, but I’ll just say that it’s a real ordeal, you can’t imagine what’s happening to me. However, I’m trying to recover in every way. But I’m also preparing for what could be a post-playing career.”

Deulofeu added that he had made big changes on a 'personal level' in his life and thanked the support of those around him, without whom he 'would have fallen into depression'.

The former Barcelona star made a name for himself in the UK, first through two spells at Everton and then two stays in London at Watford. Responding to the star's interview this week, the official Watford social media account wrote, "We're all behind you."

Deulofeu made 75 appearances for Everton and 70 appearances for Watford, finishing as an FA Cup runner-up with the latter outfit in 2019. He was also part of the squad that was relegated from the Premier League the following season, but shared his love for supporters while the team struggled.

In November 2019, he told Sky Sports:  "My message to the fans is thanks for the amazing support because in Premier League and England, there is a lot of respect for teams not in the best period and that is really good.

"Now, the players have to give them victories because they support us no matter what the result and that doesn't happen in other countries. So we have to respect our fans and give them our best."