Soccer / danny rose

Defender Danny Rose has joined newly promoted Watford following his departure from Tottenham as a free player. The 30-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Hornets who recently sealed their return back to the Premier League after finishing second in the English Championship. Watford are eager to beef up their backline ahead of their 2021/22 return back to the Premier League. The Hornets leaked a staggering 64 goals during their 2019/20 spell in the Premier League before going down. To avoid that drop again, new boss Xisco Munoz wants to tinker things at the back before their opening game against Aston Villa on August 14. Given Rose packs plenty of experience as a former defender for Tottenham — where he spent 14 years and racked up 241 appearances for the London club — his arrival at Vicarage road will give Watford the extra layer of protection that Munoz needs at the back. Rose’s switch to Watford comes after a frustrating and controversial Premier League campaign at Tottenham last season. The former England international fell out of favour under former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho and spent the second half of last season on loan at Newcastle. Following the move, the left-back accused Mourinho of not giving him "as much of a chance as everyone else in the backline". Rose will join the Watford as a free agent on July 1, having spent a short loan spell at Vicarage road during the 2008/09 Premier League campaign – featuring seven times. Reflecting on his exit from Spurs, Rose hinted he had no regrets and wished "we could have won something together". Rose added that he was grateful to the club and "very privileged to have experienced some of Tottenham's great days".