The signing of 28-year-old striker Rhys Healey was confirmed by Watford today.

Healey, whose contract with French side Toulouse ran out at the end of last season, becomes new head coach Valerien Ismael’s first new signing of the summer.

The forward has agreed a two-year deal and moves back to the UK after scoring 39 times in 77 games for Les Violets.

He finished as top scorer in Ligue 2 in the 2021/22 season with 20 goals from 32 appearances and helped Toulouse to win the league and secure promotion back to the French top flight.

Injury restricted Healey to four Ligue 1 appearances last term after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture at the start of the season.

He returned to the Toulouse squad for the last league match of the season and marked his comeback with a goal against Monaco in what would be his final appearance for the club.

Although born in Manchester, Healey began his football career with Connah’s Quay Nomads in Wales after being released by Rochdale at the age of 14.

He progressed through the Welsh club’s youth set-up before scoring 14 times in 20 senior appearances.

That led to a move to Cardiff City in January 2013, and he ironically made his first-team debut four months later by replacing his boyhood hero Craig Bellamy as a substitute in a game at Chelsea.

Healey then gained experience in a series of loan spells with the likes of Colchester United, Dundee, Newport County, Torquay United and MK Dons.

Having struggled for game time at Cardiff after picking up a serious knee injury, he signed for MK Dons permanently in July 2019.

Healey ended the 2019/20 season as the club’s top scorer with 12 goals in 20 outings, and was voted Players’ Player of the Season.

In August 2020 he moved across the channel to sign for Toulouse, having caught the attention of their Director of Football Damien Comolli, who had previously worked at Liverpool as Director of Football Strategy.

Healey scored 15 goals in 33 league appearances in his first season with Toulouse, as they finished third and reached Coupe de France quarter-finals.