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Keeper returns to Vicarage Road as Hornets make first summer signing
Watford have made their first signing of the summer with goalkeeper Jonathan Bond returning to the club.
The 31-year-old has signed a one-year contract, with the option for an additional 12 months.
The keeper began his career at Vicarage Road as a 10-year-old, and worked his way through the club’s Academy system and eventually made his first-team debut as a substitute in a 2-0 away defeat at Portsmouth in January 2012 when Scott Loach was sent off.
He had previously gained experience in loan spells at Brackley Town and Forest Green Rovers.
Bond played for both Dagenham and Redbridge, and Bury, during further spells out on loan.
Back at Vicarage Road, the keeper made 10 first-team appearances in the 2012/13 season, perhaps the most famous coming on the final day against Leeds.
Manuel Almunia was injured in the warm-up, so Bond started the game – only to be badly injured in a collision with teammate Ikechi Anya and Leeds’ Dominic Poleon that saw him carried off.
Jack Bonham came off the bench as Bond was stretchered away, Watford lost 2-1 but then went on to reach the Play-Off Final at Wembley after the memorable second-leg semi-final win over Leicester City.
Bond made another 15 senior appearances during the 13/14 campaign but was restricted to only six the following season, the last of them when he replaced the injured Heurelho Gomes in a 3-1 defeat at Huddersfield in January 2015.
The keeper left Watford the following summer and joined Reading, and had loans spells at Gillingham and Peterborough, making 45 appearances in the 17/18 season for the latter, before moving to West Brom.
He made a handful of appearances at The Hawthorns and then moved to America in January 2021, signing for MLS side LA Galaxy.
He made a total of 92 first-team outings for them, 25 of them last season – his final game was an away defeat in Minnesota in October.
Bond also picked up five England Under-21 caps after being given his debut by the then coach Gareth Southgate in a 9-0 win over San Marino in November 2013.
He now returns to Watford, looking to add to the 33 appearances he made during his first spell.
The Hemel Hempstead-born keeper told the official club website: “It is very nostalgic to come back here and see some familiar faces: making the drive back into the training ground was a nice moment.
“I’m really happy to be back, my family is really happy to see me come back to the club, and I’m just really looking forward to getting started now.
“This club gave me my start in the game. I have gone on to have lots of different experiences at different clubs around England and abroad as well.
“So, to come back now with the experience that I have had, I am more ready. I can hopefully provide a lot of help to the first team, and help bring success.”
Bond’s signing comes after Ben Hamer was released at the end of last season and subsequently signed for Sheffield Wednesday.
