Newport County's Evan Cadwallader on trial with Watford

The 18-year-old defender has been an unused substitute three times this season, against Hartlepool, Sutton and Tranmere in League Two.

Cadwallader, from Undy, caught the eye of Exiles manager Graham Coughlan to get called up to the first team but he has also attracted the interest from the Hornets and has featured for their Under-21s.

“Evan has had an opportunity to go into Watford,” said Coughlan. “They asked him to come in for a couple of weeks and he is over there now.

“I would have maybe preferred to keep him here until the end of the season but the ball is in his court. He is having a trial with Watford and we wish him well because he is a smashing kid.”

Evan Cadwallader warming up for Newport County at Colchester (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

Cadwallader was first called up by Coughlan at the end of last year but is yet to make his first team debut.

“Evan is a big, strong boy and takes no messing. He is no-nonsense with a turn of pace and has a little bit of aggression,” said the manager in December.

“He can head the ball and is tidy on it when retaining possession. We've had him with the first team and he has really impressed.

“He doesn’t look out of place at all going up against the senior lads and it is a great learning curve for him up against big, strong strikers. They are rolling him and turning him, so every day he is picking new things up.”

Cadwallader’s fellow academy prospect Kiban Rai has been a regular in the matchday squad in League Two of late, making three cameos and being an unused substitute five times.