Rocco Vata has admitted his Celtic transfer exit came "earlier than expected" as he sealed a switch to Watford.

The 19-year-old was out of contract at Parkhead this summer and decided to leave the club for a move to England.

Vata had been offered new terms at Celtic but opted to depart the club after 12 years in the academy.

The teenager has penned a four-year deal with Watford with the club holding the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

Watford will pay Celtic in the region of £237k as a compensation fee for the deal to sign the son of former defender Rudi Vata.

After finalising his move, Vata broke his silence on the transfer switch as he thanked Celtic staff and supporters for their backing during his time in Glasgow.

On his personal Instagram story, Vata wrote: "My 12 years at Celtic comes to an end earlier than expected.

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"Would like to thank all the staff I've worked with throughout the years for developing me  into the player and person I am today, and the fans who believed in me and supported me.

"I wish Celtic all the best next year."

On signing Vata, Watford head coach Tom Cleverley commented: “It’s no secret that there was a lot of interest in Rocco, both in the UK and abroad.

“So we have to be excited because clearly the project we are offering to players is appealing to them.

“Now we can’t disappoint, and he’s also got the challenge to secure his place in the team and fulfil the potential.

“But when you have a player who has a really determined and relentless character, they are the sort of people who generally do fulfil their potential and I see that in Rocco.”