Watford signing this out of favour Burnley star would be a brilliant move by Javi Gracia

Why Watford should make a move for Tom Heaton in January

According to Sky Sports, goalkeeper Tom Heaton has admitted he may be forced to leave Burnley in January to play regular football.

The England international is returning from a horrific shoulder injury he suffered at the start of last season. Tom Heaton has struggled for minutes this season after recovering from the shoulder injury that kept him out for almost a year.

The 32-year-old shot-stopper has been restricted to three appearances in the Europa League qualifiers and Carabao Cup, and could be the third choice keeper when Nick Pope returns from his shoulder injury in the coming weeks.

Heaton looked set for a return to the Burnley side this summer when Nick Pope dislocated his shoulder, but the ex-Manchester United man picked up a calf injury, which saw Sean Dyche sign Joe Hart from Manchester City.

With Heaton looking to exit Burnley in January, Watford should make a move for him. Watford have made a good start to the new Premier League campaign with Javi Gracia making his team play an exciting brand of football.

The Hornets’ attacking players have caught the eyes, with the likes of Andre Gray, Roberto Pereyra and Will Hughes impressing the most.

But one cannot ignore the fact that Watford have been defensively solid as well. The backline has been well marshalled by Craig Cathcart, while full-backs Jose Holebas and Daryl Janmaat have offered a lot going forward.

Behind the backline, Ben Foster has been a pillar in goal but has managed to keep just two clean sheets so far this season. Foster’s deputy, Heurelho Gomes has played just cup competitions this term but he is 37 and has entered the twilight of his career.

Gomes is well past his prime and he is prone to making errors in goal. With Foster aged 35, Watford have two ageing goalkeepers in their ranks and it won’t be a bad idea to add Heaton to the squad.

Heaton has enjoyed remarkable success with Burnley, winning three England caps along the way and captaining the side to the Championship title in 2015/16.

He has gained valuable experience from playing in the Championship and the Premier League, and is an intelligent shot-stopper with fantastic reflexes and good reading of the game.

Read more: Comparing Liverpool and Watford’s phenomenal left-backs – Stats show the latter is better

At 32, Heaton still has some really good years left in him and Watford would be wise to snap him up once the transfer window reopens.