Troy Deeney has backed Watford team-mate Nathaniel Chalobah to become a player worth £50 million, providing he can play consistently.
The 23-year-old’s first year at Vicarage Road has been severely hampered by injury after he fractured his kneecap while training last September.
A near 12 month absence followed and put a halt to the progress which had seen Chalobah earn his first England call-up.
With Chalobah now pushing hard for a return to regular first-team action with Watford, Deeney is confident the former Chelsea man will fulfil his considerable potential.
“Chalobah is an unbelievable footballer, he makes football look easy he glides, it’s effortless. He hasn’t come to Watford just to settle, he wants to kick on again and show why he was at Chelsea in the first place,” Deeney told Monday Night Football.
“I think in 18 months, playing week in week out you’re talking about a £50m player. Easy.”
Chalobah’s move to Watford was seen by many as a coup for the WD18 outfit as the Hornets secured the services of the highly coveted midfielder last summer.
Having paid an initial fee in the region of just £5m, Watford would stand to make a considerable profit should Deeney’s valuation of Chalobah prove to be accurate.
Chalobah’s own desire to join Watford is commendable as he left the comfort of life at Chelsea and opted against further loan moves to seek regular senior opportunities.
Deeney believes the grounding Chalobah received at Chelsea under a host of seasoned professionals will only stand him in good stead as he continues to develop.
The Watford skipper said: “He’s still a kid in terms of growing into his body, but his mentality is like a man. He came through a hard school at Chelsea, [Didier] Drogba, [John] Terry and [Frank] Lampard didn’t let him cut corners.”
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