Senegal national team midfielder Pape Gueye described his failed move to Watford in 2019 as a traumatic experience. Sharing the experience with Oui Hustle, the Villarreal midfielder revealed how a botched contract by his agent left he and his family devastated.
Gueye, who is now a key performer at Spanish La Liga side Villarreal, cited betrayal on the part of his agent as the catalyst to traumatic experience.
“The whole family was in shock. It killed me,” he admitted, recalling the moment he discovered the full extent of the mismanagement.
“I didn’t speak English, Spanish, or Italian. For me, the next logical step was to stay in France," he said.
Despite his desire to remain in France, Gueye was told no Ligue 1 clubs were interested in his service with the agent presenting an offer from English side Watford. Gueye signed the contract without his father present due to the full trust he had in the agent.
“The shock was immense. The contract didn’t match anything I was told. I was set to be loaned out immediately, there was no signing bonus and even worse, my salary would decrease over time. I didn’t even know such clauses existed. I can only imagine the pain my father felt."
“I’ve grown from it, but I’ll never forget how it felt. It taught me to be more vigilant and to question everything, no matter who’s involved.”
Pape Gueye rose through the ranks of Le Havre, becoming captain at just age 19. The now 26-year-old has been ever present when available, making 24 appearances in all competitions so far this season with 3 goals for Villarreal who currently sit in 5th place on the La Liga table.
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