With the sights of both Watford and Southampton set on the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup on Sunday (January 28, KO 2pm), we’ve taken a look at five players who have turned out for both the Hornets and the Saints.
Kevin Phillips
Hertfordshire-born striker Kevin Phillips played in the youth ranks with Southampton but was given his big break in the senior game with Watford, going on to score 24 goals from 65 appearances between 1995 and 1997 in what was an injury-hit spell.
After departing Vicarage Road for Sunderland, where he scored 130 goals and earned eight England caps, Phillips returned to Southampton in 2003.
He scored 26 times during his second spell on the south coast before leaving for Aston Villa in 2005.
In the 2013 Championship play-off final, Phillips scored an extra-time penalty for Crystal Palace which condemned the Hornets to another season in the second tier.
David Connolly
Striker David Connolly was a prolific scorer in Watford’s youth set-up and progressed through to make his full debut in 1995.
Connolly was briefly the youngest Hornet to play in an FA Cup tie, before the record was taken from him by Gifton Noel-Williams. He scored 15 goals in 34 appearances for Watford in all.
His strikes included two league hat-tricks before his departure for Feyenoord in 1997. In 2009, the Republic of Ireland international joined Southampton where he scored 17 goals from 67 appearances.
Kerry Dixon
Legendary Chelsea striker Kerry Dixon also made stops at both Watford and Southampton during his career.
Dixon joined the Saints in 1992 after scoring 193 goals in all competitions for the Blues, writing his place into club history.
After that success his spell at Southampton was an anti-climax as he managed just two goals from nine appearances in the new Premier League.
Dixon would later play for Luton Town and Millwall before arriving at Vicarage Road in 1996.
Now in the twilight of his career, he didn’t manage to score a goal in 11 games for the Hornets and left for Doncaster Rovers in the same year.
Fitz Hall
The defender nicknamed “One-Size” finished his career at Watford after featuring at the club between 2012 and 2014.
Injury problems meant he could not make his debut until the ninth game of the season when he was introduced from the bench, but he did mark his first start against Huddersfield with his only goal for the club.
Hall, standing at 6ft 4in tall, played 28 times for the Hornets in all and spent the 2003/04 season with Southampton, making 12 appearances.
Grzegorz Rasiak
Polish forward Grzegorz Rasiak joined Watford on a season-long loan from Southampton in 2008/9.
His stay at Vicarage Road was hit by injuries, but he still managed 10 goals in 25 appearances for the Golden Boys.
Rasiak had joined Southampton in 2006 from Tottenham Hotspur, scoring 29 times for the Saints while also spending time on loan at Bolton Wanderers.
