Rocco Vata

Rocco Vata
Vata in 2024
Personal information
Full name Rocco Vata
Date of birth (2005-04-18) 18 April 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland[1]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Right Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Watford
Number 11
Youth career
2012–2021 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2024 Celtic B 55 (28)
2022–2024 Celtic 5 (0)
2024– Watford 12 (2)
International career‡
2019–2020 Republic of Ireland U15 3 (0)
2021–2022 Republic of Ireland U17 8 (3)
2021 Republic of Ireland U18 2 (0)
2022–2023 Republic of Ireland U19 8 (0)
2023– Republic of Ireland U21 7 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:06, 29 December 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:14, 17 November 2024 (UTC)

Rocco Vata (born 18 April 2005) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Watford. Born in Scotland, he is a youth international for the Republic of Ireland.

Club career

Celtic

Born in Glasgow, Vata followed in the footsteps of his father, former professional footballer and Celtic player Rudi Vata by joining Celtic at the age of seven.[2][3] He signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2021.[4]

He was included in pre-season training with the Celtic first team ahead of the 2022–23 season, but was assigned to the club's B team in 2022, making his debut in the Lowland League the same year.[2][5][6] Following impressive performances for Celtic's youth and B teams, he is seen as one of Celtic and Ireland's most promising players, and was linked with Italian clubs Juventus, Roma and AC Milan, as well as English sides Arsenal and Manchester City in October 2022.[7][8][9]

Vata made his first team debut for Celtic on 28 December 2022, coming on as a substitute for Matt O'Riley as Celtic beat Hibernian 4–0 away at Easter Road.[10] He scored his first senior goal in a 5–0 rout of Buckie Thistle on 21 January 2024 in the 2023–24 Scottish Cup.

Watford

On 5 July 2024, Vata signed for EFL Championship club Watford on a four-year contract.[11]

Personal life

Rocco is the son of former footballer Rudi Vata.

International career

Vata is eligible to represent Albania through his father (who played for the Albania national team), the Republic of Ireland through his grandmother on his mother's side, Scotland through his mother and by virtue of being born there, and Montenegro.[2]

On 31 August 2023, Vata received his first call up to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for their 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification fixtures against Turkey U21 and San Marino U21 on 8 and 12 September 2023.[12] He made his U21 debut in the San Marino game, scoring twice in a 3–0 win at Turners Cross.[13] On 22 March 2024, he scored a hat-trick on his second appearance for the side, in a 7–0 win away to San Marino U21.[14]

Honours

Celtic

Career statistics

As of matches played 26 December 2024[15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Celtic B 2021–22 Lowland League 24 7 — — 0 0 24 7
2022–23 Lowland League 16 9 — — 2[c] 1 18 10
2023–24 Lowland League 15 12 — — 1[c] 1 16 13
Total 55 28 — — 3 2 58 30
Celtic 2022–23 Scottish Premiership 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
2023–24 Scottish Premiership 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
Total 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 1
Watford 2024–25 EFL Championship 12 2 0 0 3 0 — 15 2
Career total 72 30 1 1 3 0 3 2 79 33
  1. ^ Includes Scottish Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearance(s) in the Scottish Challenge Cup

References

  1. ^ a b Rocco Vata at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b c Mair, Steven (12 March 2022). "Who is Rocco Vata? Celtic starlet with a famous father and his 'killer attitude' that sounds oven ready for Angeball". dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Rocco Vata". celticfc.com. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  4. ^ Caw, Daniel (9 July 2021). "Rocco Vata - son of Celtic cult hero Rudi - signs first professional deal for the Hoops". glasgowlive.co.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  5. ^ McLaughlin, James (18 July 2022). "Rocco Vata given 'looks ready' Celtic assessment as veteran coos over starlet's quality". heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  6. ^ Connaughton, Gary (20 October 2022). "Report: Europe's Biggest Clubs Lining Up To Sign Ireland Youth Star". balls.ie. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  7. ^ Fitzmaurice, Aidan (8 November 2021). "'He could become the Ronaldo of Ireland' – High hopes for talented 16-year-old". independent.ie. Retrieved 23 October 2022. (subscription required)
  8. ^ Losapio, Andrea (20 October 2022). "Celtic, tutti pazzi per Rocco Vata: classe 2005, è seguito da Juventus e Milan" [Celtic, all crazy for Rocco Vata: born in 2005, followed by Juventus and Milan]. tuttomercatoweb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  9. ^ Banks, Ben (22 October 2022). "Rocco Vata Celtic exit talk addressed by Postecoglou with Callum McGregor example after 'valuation'". glasgowlive.co.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Scots Prem (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Rocco Vata: Watford sign Celtic teenager on four-year deal". BBC Sport. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Crawford names U21 squad for EURO qualifiers in Cork | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie.
  13. ^ Cooney, Gavin (12 September 2023). "Perfect start for the Irish U21s as they cruise to routine win over San Marino". The 42.
  14. ^ "Rocco Vata bags hat-trick and Sinclair Armstrong on the double as Ireland hammer San Marino: As it happened". Irish Independent. 22 March 2024.
  15. ^ Rocco Vata at Soccerway