The midfielder has penned a deal with the English side that will see him at the club until the end of the 2020/21 season
Championship side Watford have confirmed the signing of Kenya U23 starlet Henry Ochieng until the end of the season.
Although the midfielder was raised in England, his parents were born in Kenya. Ochieng was given a Harambee Stars call-up in November 2017 by former head coach Stanley Okumbi for the Sierra Leone Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but he did not play because the match was cancelled.
He made his debut for the U23 side against Mauritius one year later after his national team call-up during an Afcon qualifying match.
“Watford FC are pleased to confirm the signing of U23 midfielder Henry Ochieng,” the English outfit confirmed on Monday.
“Having spent time at West Ham and Leyton Orient’s academies, Ochieng made his senior debut for the O’s in November 2016.
“The 22-year-old has since featured for Braintree Town, Welwyn Garden City, Wingate & Finchley and was most recently with Cork City in the League of Ireland Premier Division.
“Ochieng, who is capped by Kenya Under-23s, has signed until the end of the season.”
Ochieng attended St Aubyn’s School while growing in Ilford before he started his career at Buckhurst Hill Junior team. It is at that time that he was scouted by West Ham United in 2009 and moved to sign a two-year deal with Leyton six years later.
He made his debut against Brighton U23 side on November 8 in 2016 where his side suffered a 1-0 defeat. The midfielder signed a first professional contract in December and made his League Two debut in March of 2017 as a substitute against Crawley Town where his side suffered a 3-0 defeat as he debuted.
Ochieng left Leyton Orient in March 2018 and joined Braintree Town in the National League. He played in five games before he made yet another move which saw him land at Welwyn Garden City in March 2019.
The Kenyan starlet moved to Wingate and Finchley for the 2019/20 season before the club announced his sale to Cork City of the Premier Division of Ireland where he turned out in 31 games.
Ochieng has joined Harambee Stars defender Clarke Oduor (who is at Barnsley) in the Championship.
