Hayden confident he Cann do the job at Waterford

When the new Waterford manager, Jon Daly, came calling, there was no hesitation from Hayden Cann. He had worked with the manager before, having swapped Drogheda United for Dundalk in the middle of the 2024 season, where he linked up with Daly.

While he may be only 22 years old, Cann already has a wealth of experience behind him, and he is now looking forward to the challenge of helping the Blues for the 2026 season.

“I joined Lincoln City when I was six,” he enthused when we sat down for a chat. “I stayed there until I was twenty before heading to Dundalk.” In between, there were some loans at Gainsborough, Lincoln United and Peterborough before he moved across the Irish Sea to spend the first half of the 2024 season at Drogheda United. Despite Lincoln considering extending his stay with the Imps, he elected to move to Oriel Park, despite the friendly banter from his teammates about the rivalry!

But he is pleased with the football education that he had received before he moved on, which he feels prepared him well for the transition to a new country.

“It's definitely helped me, put me in good stead, because obviously I came on loan over here first, and Kev [Doherty], at the time, obviously put a lot of trust in me, playing me all the time, and it got me another move in Ireland, so yeah, I'm really grateful.” EXCITED TO WORK The move to Dundalk saw him link up with Jon Daly, and the defender is happy to be working with him a second time.

“He brought me in there, and I'm just excited to get working with him again at Watford.” A good second half of 2024 earned him a move to the Brandywell and while he enjoyed his time there he was hoping for more playing time.

“I thought I did have a good year last year. Probably wanted to play more than I did, if that makes sense, but now hoping to just kick on again this year, have another good year, and play as many games as I can.” And he is relishing the chance to deliver for the Blues who have cleared their defensive roster.

“It's a huge opportunity, definitely. I mean, that's one of the reasons why I came, in fact, in a selfish way. It's like a good opportunity for me to come in and show what I'm about, really” And so what are you hoping to bring to Waterford?

“Just, like, reliable, like, leadership, you know what I mean? Try to keep the boys together. Just constantly shouting at everyone, to be honest.” And with the focus last season firmly on the defensive errors, Cann is confident that he can help Waterford this season.

“Obviously, there's pressure in every game, but I wouldn't say there's any extra pressure.

“I've got my own standards. I put my own pressure on myself, but, yeah, that's all I can do, just help the team out as much as I can. And, of course, there's still a couple of good players here.”