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Watford goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has admitted he is unhappy with a lack of playing time at the club since returning to Vicarage Road in the summer.

The 23-year-old returned to Watford in June following ga loan spell back at Sparta Rotterdam, who he left in January for Watford.

The Hornets paid €5m for the goalkeeper in the January transfer window but elected to leave him in the Netherlands getting regular game time and continuing his development.

He moved to Watford permanently in the summer but is yet to make an impact at the club, failing to feature in a single minute of Championship football.

He’s instead been used as the cup goalkeeper, making one appearance in the EFL Cup defeat to MK Dons back in August.

The rest of his season so far has seen him sat on the bench, although he has not featured in any of Watford’s last three games.

It’s a situation he is not happy with, admitting he had expected more when he moved in the summer.

 “I made the move to England in my right mind. I was told I had to compete with the other goalkeepers for a place under the crossbar,” he told Voetbal Primeur.

“I was also told that I will be given the time and space to adapt to the level and to a new country and new league, so that I can eventually make the move.

“Sport-wise, it’s not yet panning out as I had hoped, but we stick to the plan. No, it’s definitely not easy. It’s quite tough, I have to tell you very honestly.

“At Sparta I played every week and now I’m on the bench, which was something I had to get used to. Then you come home with a different feeling than when you play every week, get balls out of the goal and get compliments. But that too is football and is just part of it.

“I am still one hundred per cent behind my transfer, because I did well in the Eredivisie and of course I couldn’t stay at Sparta forever.

“I just keep working really hard and want to show myself. We hope to get promoted to the Premier League with Watford. That’s going to be difficult, but we keep believing in it.”