The Hornets’ former head of medical Richard Collinge is set to return to club, the Watford Observer understands.

The highly-regarded Collinge spent nine years at Vicarage Road before following Malky Mackay to Cardiff City in 2011.

He joined Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2014, several months before Mackay’s switch to the north-west club, and we understand he is set to link-up with Watford again from Monday as head of medical.

The Golden Boys’ former head of medical Marco Cesarini – who also worked as ex-head coach Beppe Sannino’s translator - left the club in late December to join AC Milan in his native Italy.

His replacement Collinge graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1998 and spent three years working for the NHS at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington before moving into professional sport.

He climbed the ladder at Crystal Palace’s academy while working part-time before being employed by Brentford for a year under Steve Coppell.

Collinge joined Watford’s academy in 2002, working his way up the ranks until he was appointed as head of medical in 2009 – a position he held for two years.

You can read the last interview Collinge did with the Watford Observer here.