Christian Kabasele has been at the club less than two weeks but he's already shown a glimpse of the sort of powerhouse defensive displays we can expect to see from him. On Monday he sat down with Udinese TV to chat about his move to Udinese, his hopes and ambitions.
“I'm really happy to be here and I think it's the right step forward in my career after seven years in England,” he began.
It wasn't an easy decision for the 32-year-old, however, because “Watford has a special place in my heart. It's where I spent most of my professional career. I haven't spent more than two or three years at any other club. My kids grew up there and we were happy there, but you come to a point where you have to listen to your head and not your heart. If I'd listened to my heart, I'd probably have stayed there but I had the chance to come here and I think it was the right time”
Now Kabsele is getting ready for Serie A – “the defenders' league” as he calls it – and getting to know all its secrets.
"I'm learning to defend in a more tactical way,” he explains. “I wasn't short of experience but I've learnt a lot in these two weeks.
“Serie A is one of the best leagues in the world. Three Italian clubs reached European finals last season, which tells you how high the level is here, and it's getting better every year. I think we'll improve too.
The 32-year-old knows his experience could come in handy at a club with lots of young new players.
“I think I can bring my experience to the dressing room. I've played lots of games in the Premier League and played for Belgium – the best team in the world for many years.
“My physicality will help me too. It may be more tactical here but you still need intensity when tackling.
“I'll try to help the youngsters to work hard every day. It's not easy when you find yourself at a club of this calibre, in Serie A, as a 20-year-old. Sometimes you might want to take it easy but you have to work hard every single day to stay at this level.
The centre-back also set out his hopes for himself and the team.
“I want to play as much as possible,” he admitted. “I haven't come here for an easy life as a squad player because I'm closer to the end of my career than the start.
“As for our team objectives, if we can start in a similar way to last season, I don't see why we can't aim higher and try to challenge for the European spots. I don't think it's an unrealistic target and that's what we'll strive for from the first game.”