Former Letterkenny Rovers player James Abankwah joins Watford on loan from Udinese

Republic of Ireland U-21 defender James Abankwah, who once lived in Letterkenny, has joined Watford on loan from Serie A club Udinese for the remainder of the 2024/25 Championship season.  

Born in Waterford, Abankwah moved to Letterkenny in 2011, where he began his football journey with Letterkenny Rovers where his father, Isaac, served as a minister in Letterkenny during that period.  

Reflecting on his time there, Isaac mentioned, "James has fantastic memories of his time playing with Letterkenny Rovers. The coaches treated him so well, and he loved playing with his teammates."  

After his stint in Donegal, Abankwah's family relocated to Longford, where he played for Melview FC and represented Longford in the Kennedy Cup.  

READ NEXT: David Shovlin returns to boost Letterkenny Rovers ahead of FAI Junior Cup clash 

Subsequent moves saw him join Dublin's Cherry Orchard before signing with St Patrick's Athletic in 2019. His impressive performances led to a transfer to Udinese ahead of the 2022/23 season.  

During his time in Italy, Abankwah made his Serie A debut in April 2023 against Bologna and secured his first start against Juventus on the final day of that season.  

He also gained experience in the English Football League with a loan spell at Charlton Athletic in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign.  

Watford's head coach, Tom Cleverley, expressed enthusiasm about the new addition, stating, "He brings us speed, physicality, and I can see he values the art of defending... We identified him as a player that is the perfect profile for what we are missing."  

Abankwah could make his debut for Watford in their upcoming match against Derby County. Notably, his international teammates, Rocco Vata and Festy Ebosele — also on loan from Udinese—are expected to feature in the game.