Watford's official signing announcement says Antonio joined as a free agent after training with the first team. The agreement runs for one year, and the 36-year-old will use the number 18 shirt.
The club said his registration was subject to international clearance. That qualification matters: signing a contract does not automatically guarantee that he will be available for Watford's next Championship fixture against Stoke City or that he will be selected.
TalkSport independently reported the contract length, shirt number and clearance position. The Guardian's live football desk also recorded the completed move as it spread across British football coverage on Friday afternoon.
Antonio said he had found a focused squad and hoped to help the club succeed. Watford can use him as an experienced central forward while he works towards full match sharpness.
Why the signing is a comeback story
Antonio had not played a senior club match in England since December 2024, when a serious road crash left him with a lower-limb fracture that required surgery. West Ham confirmed the injury and operation after he was taken to hospital.
West Ham released him when his contract ended in 2025, closing a decade-long spell in which he became the club's leading scorer in the Premier League era. During his rehabilitation, he returned to training and appeared for West Ham's under-21 side before making his senior comeback for Jamaica. West Ham documented that international return during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
The forward subsequently returned to senior football with Al-Sailiya in Qatar. That stint produced four appearances before he became available again. He then trained with Watford, giving the club time to assess his readiness before offering a contract.
Friday's confirmation changes the story from a trial and fitness programme into a registered club move. It does not settle how quickly he will reach full competitive condition, but it gives him a defined route back into the English game.
XTRAfrica readers can follow the wider English football conversation through the site's West Ham United coverage and Premier League hub. Antonio's new club currently plays in the Championship, but his West Ham record explains why the signing has attracted attention beyond Watford supporters.
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Michail Antonio Returns to English Football With One-Year Watford Deal
Sep 11, 2026
Sep 11, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
Watford's official signing announcement says Antonio joined as a free agent after training with the first team. The agreement runs for one year, and the 36-year-old will use the number 18 shirt.
The club said his registration was subject to international clearance. That qualification matters: signing a contract does not automatically guarantee that he will be available for Watford's next Championship fixture against Stoke City or that he will be selected.
TalkSport independently reported the contract length, shirt number and clearance position. The Guardian's live football desk also recorded the completed move as it spread across British football coverage on Friday afternoon.
Antonio said he had found a focused squad and hoped to help the club succeed. Watford can use him as an experienced central forward while he works towards full match sharpness.
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Why the signing is a comeback story
Antonio had not played a senior club match in England since December 2024, when a serious road crash left him with a lower-limb fracture that required surgery. West Ham confirmed the injury and operation after he was taken to hospital.
West Ham released him when his contract ended in 2025, closing a decade-long spell in which he became the club's leading scorer in the Premier League era. During his rehabilitation, he returned to training and appeared for West Ham's under-21 side before making his senior comeback for Jamaica. West Ham documented that international return during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
The forward subsequently returned to senior football with Al-Sailiya in Qatar. That stint produced four appearances before he became available again. He then trained with Watford, giving the club time to assess his readiness before offering a contract.
Friday's confirmation changes the story from a trial and fitness programme into a registered club move. It does not settle how quickly he will reach full competitive condition, but it gives him a defined route back into the English game.
XTRAfrica readers can follow the wider English football conversation through the site's West Ham United coverage and Premier League hub. Antonio's new club currently plays in the Championship, but his West Ham record explains why the signing has attracted attention beyond Watford supporters.
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Antonio's record in England and with Jamaica
Antonio played 323 times for West Ham in all competitions and scored 83 goals, according to figures reproduced in the Watford and national reports. He was part of the team that won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023.
He also has substantial Championship experience from earlier spells with Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest. That background makes this a return to a competition he already knows rather than a first adjustment to English second-tier football.
Internationally, Antonio represents Jamaica. Watford lists him with 24 senior caps, while Concacaf's official 2025 Gold Cup roster identifies him among Jamaica's forwards. His international career gives the move wider Caribbean and African-diaspora relevance.
For more African and diaspora football moves, see XTRAfrica's reports on Mohau Nkota's Orlando Pirates return and Francis Uzoho's move to Omonia.
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What happens next
The first question is clearance. Watford must complete the required international registration steps before Antonio can be considered for competitive selection.
The second is fitness. He has been working with the squad, but neither the contract announcement nor the supporting reports promise an immediate start. A place in the Stoke matchday group would therefore be a coaching decision, not an automatic consequence of the signing.
The one-year term gives both player and club a clear time frame. Watford gains an experienced forward and mentor without a transfer fee, while Antonio receives a platform to show that he can contribute consistently after a disrupted period.
For supporters, the confirmed facts are straightforward: Antonio is a Watford player, he has signed for one year, he will wear number 18, and his first possible appearance depends on clearance and selection.
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