Lincoln City have run the eye over former Watford man Sean Murray, a player once billed as the best thing to come from Watford's academy now tumbling down the divisions at speed.

Murray is one of a number of trialists with the League Two club, but perhaps the most notable.

At just 24-years old he is a fine example of what happens to a young player when it all goes wrong, courtesy of a bad move or personality clash.

Murray came through the ranks at Vicarage Road, around the same time as Britt Assombalonga.

He grew up in Watford and signed for the academy at the tender age of nine, making the jump to professional terms in 2010.

It is remarkable for a young player these days if they make the step to the professional game, but that is exactly what happened.

He made a debut against QPR, then played out of his skin in an FA Cup tie against Spurs the following season. Murray had arrived.

The year before Lincoln City had been relegated from the Football League and the two parties never seemed further apart.

Perhaps the only link was Assombalonga, playing on loan against Lincoln for Braintree, but certainly the dynamic young Championship midfielder would have little cause to know where Sincil Bank was.

Murray made 75 appearances for Watford, all in the Championship, before they won promotion to the Premier League.

That brought a raft of new players and the young academy graduate found himself surplus to requirements.

After a loan spell at Wigan, he switched to Swindon Town.

In that one move, his promise disappeared. His time at Swindon was brief, six months is all it took to go from aspiring Premier League youngster to free agent in League One.

A rift grew between him and Tim Sherwood and by the time the season finished, he was with Colchester United, his contract cancelled. 

Eighteen months with the U's brought 56 outings, but he failed to agree a deal with manager John McGreal, which brings him to the door of Danny Cowley.

The fall has been swift and sharp, two years ago he was 22-years old with nothing but Championship football behind him, now he's 24 and scrapping alongside former Forest and Southend youngsters for a contract with the Imps.

It might be a tale young players should heed, he might be a victim of circumstance, but Sean Murray is surely good enough to be a first team footballer in League Two, if not League One.

He's got Eire honours at U17, U19 and U21 level, he's started 50 Championship games and knows what it feels like to win promotion to the top flight.

Watford and Swindon's loss might be Lincoln City's gain, if Danny Cowley takes a punt on the player.