Former Watford and England youth international defender Eddie Oshodi has quit football at the age of 23.

The centre-back had been playing in the Conference for Forest Green Rovers but has had his contract with the club cancelled by mutual consent.

He is taking a break from the game in order to concentrate on charity work.

Oshodi, alongside fellow Hornets Academy graduate Dale Bennett, is organising a charity match in April in memory of former Watford youngster Alex Stephens who died last summer.

He told Forest Green’s website: “My mind wasn’t fully into football. Forest Green are looking to get promoted, get into the play-offs, and get into the Football League hopefully.

“I don’t want to be the one who’s wasting anyone’s time. I don’t want Forest Green to have a player who isn’t really fully committed. So I took the decision upon myself to stop playing football.”

He added: “All I’ve known is football. I just think this is the right time to take a break, to step back and watch from the outside looking in, instead of being on the inside looking out.

“The charity work was a factor in my decision. It was a big decision. It was fully thought out, well thought out.”

Oshodi came through the youth ranks at Watford a signed a professional deal with the Hornets in 2010.

He went on to make two first-team appearances before being released by the club in August 2011.

Oshodi linked up with Forest Green a month-and-a-half later and went on to play 127 times for Rovers.