Watford’s Adlene Guedioura: Few Premier League players can match my experiences

Adlene Guedioura claims he has experiences that few Premier League footballers can rival.

While the likable midfielder may only have 71 Premier League appearances to his name, and no Champions League experience, he insists representing his native Algeria is unlike anything else.

The 30-year-old joined Leicester City duo Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani, and West Ham’s Sofiane Feghouli, in the squad for Algeria’s recent World Cup qualifier against Cameroon.

And although the result was a disappointing 1-1 draw – with the manager Milovan Rajevac subsequently resigning after just two games – the former Wolves and Crystal Palace man insists every outing at the 35,000-capacity Stade Mustapha Tchaker is special.

Adlene Guedioura is popular among the Watford faithful. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

Guedioura, who has been capped 34 times by Algeria, said: “The fans were amazing. We played there at 8.30pm and the stadium was full already at 1pm, and we see that before each game now.

“When we arrived the stadium was full of lights, full of atmosphere and it’s always like that in Algeria because football is something huge. It’s the best sport in Algeria.

“I always say to the lads here, when you play one game in Africa it’s like two or three games in the Premier League with the atmosphere and the condition, so it’s quite interesting and it’s quite different.

“When you go to Algeria you see things you will never have seen before in your life as a fan. The atmosphere is amazing, we have such good fans and we know that we have a big responsibility to try to qualify for the next World Cup.”