Matej Vydra excelled at Watford and Derby County
Vydra, a Czech Republic-born striker, initially joined England’s Watford in 2012, part of a wave of players transitioning from Udinese to Vicarage Road.
At 20, he clinched the Championship Player of the Year title, netting 22 goals in 44 matches. Despite his stellar performance, Watford fell short in the playoff final against Crystal Palace.
His Premier League stint with West Bromwich Albion following that triumph was underwhelming, with only three goals in 23 games, prompting a return to Watford on loan.
His subsequent loan spell saw him score 16 goals, propelling Watford back to the Premier League, yet his time there was brief as he soon joined Reading. Unfortunately, his performance at Reading was lackluster, with just three league goals to his name.
However, despite this downturn, Derby took a chance on him, paying £8 million for his services, a move that proved fruitful. While his first season at Derby yielded only five goals, his second, in the 17/18 campaign, was exceptional.
Vydra’s 21 goals in 42 games contributed significantly to Derby’s playoff run, culminating in a semifinal loss to Fulham. Notably, he showcased his prowess with a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough.
Recognized for his outstanding season, Vydra earned a spot in the PFA Championship Team of the Year and secured the Golden Boot award as well.
Matej Vydra’s big-money move to Burnley did not go as well as anyone would have expected
Vydra’s impressive performance in the Championship once again attracted the attention of Premier League teams, resulting in a transfer to Burnley in 2018 for a reported fee of £11 million. However, similar to his time at West Brom in the Premier League, his four-year tenure with Burnley saw him predominantly utilized as a backup striker, resulting in a lack of goal-scoring success.
Over the course of his four seasons with Burnley in the Premier League, Vydra managed to score eight goals in 72 league appearances. Unfortunately, this period was marked by underperformance, contributing to Burnley’s relegation and Vydra subsequently being released from the club.
| Matej Vydra’s Burnley stats (all competitions, as per FotMob) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 21/22 | 24 | 2 |
| 20/21 | 34 | 6 |
| 19/20 | 22 | 2 |
| 18/19 | 17 | 2 |
Vydra showed that he was consistently a prolific striker at Championship level, but the Premier League always proved to be a level too high for him.
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