Etienne Capoue has traded football for basketball in a surprising turn of events (Image: GETTY)
Etienne Capoue has turned his back on football to take up a new sport, nine years after Watford paid a club-record fee to sign him from Tottenham. The 36-year-old was released by Villarreal at the end of last season and did not manage to find a new club over the summer.
Capoue was linked with a return to Watford earlier this year but has since traded goal nets for basketball nets in an unexpected turn of events. According to Relevo, he is currently training with Spanish third-division basketball team CB Jovens L’Eliana, who are based near Valencia.
The former France international recently took part in a friendly match, with his new side claiming a 78-70 victory against CB Morvedre. However, the report states that he is ineligible to take part in any official games because he does not yet have a licence.
Capoue played for Tottenham between 2013 and 2016 but failed to make the grade (Image: GETTY)
It remains to be seen if Capoue will continue to pursue a career in basketball or if he will return to football at some point down the line. If he manages to earn a professional contract with Jovens L’Eliana, it will fulfil a childhood dream of his.
Capoue discussed his love of basketball last year and hinted that a potential career change was on the cards, saying: "My dream as a child was to play NBA basketball. Clearly, that was my dream. But it’s still my dream, eh? I don’t know."
The midfielder began his football career as a youth prospect at French side Angers before securing a move to Toulouse shortly before his 18th birthday. After breaking into their senior squad and impressing with his displays in midfield, he joined Tottenham in the summer of 2013.
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Capoue spent two years in north London but struggled to make the grade and was eventually sold to Premier League rivals Watford. They paid a club-record fee of around £6.3million for his signature, with Capoue going on to make 181 appearances for the Hornets in all competitions.
He joined Villarreal in 2021 before helping them to win their first and only major trophy in their 101-year existence, starting in their Europa League final victory over Manchester United. He played 148 times for the Spanish club before he was released at the end of last season.
Capoue also won seven international caps for France but has not played for his country since 2013 after falling out of favour under Didier Deschamps.
