Watford manager Javi Gracia had a two-year spell at Malaga between 2014 and 2016.
During his time with the Spanish outfit, one of the players he promoted to the first team was Pablo Fornals and the latter made his debut against Real Madrid in September 2015.
The attacking midfielder left Malaga and made a switch to Villarreal in 2017, a club where he spent five years during his youth days.
The 22-year-old got his name on the scoresheet against Athletic Club Bilbao after smashing the ball into the net from 40 yards as his side went on to register a 3-0 win on September 26th, which was exactly three years after he made his senior debut while with his former club.
“It is a great celebration. My family has remembered, so what I did first is call Javi Gracia, who I will always appreciate for giving me the opportunity to make my [first team] debut,” Fornals explained.
Maybe one for the Watford recruitment team to keep an eye on.
