Former Watford defender Adrian Mariappa has joined Championship club rivals Bristol City.

The Robins confirmed in a statement today that Mariappa has joined the club as a free agent until January after leaving Vicarage Road.

Reports of the move surfaced on Monday after Bristol Live reported that the Robins had held talks with Mariappa, although no move had been confirmed.

The defender left Watford in the summer after no agreement was reached during discussions regarding a potential extension to his deal.

Bristol City Chief Executive Officer Mark Ashton said: “I am thrilled that the club has been able to secure a player of Adrian Mariappa’s quality and experience.

“I am confident he will help Dean, his staff and players kick on after what has been a very good start to the campaign and our supporters should be excited to see him in a Bristol City shirt after the international break.”

City Head Coach Holden said: “We’ve done our due diligence and received some fantastic character references and that’s really important for me. He is a fantastic professional who is reliable, and he can certainly help the guys around him.

“When we spoke I could hear his hunger to come here, continue his career and achieve something special at this football club.”

The Hornets will face Bristol City later this month (November 25), meaning an early reunion is potentially on the cards.

Last month Watford CEO and Chairman Scott Duxbury said it was a "huge mistake" to not tell fans that Mariappa had left the club, with no statement having been released by the club confirming the player's departure.

Duxbury said that he should have communicated with the fans and recognised the contribution of a man who has spent a total of 11 years at the club.