Craig Cathcart believes Watford can bounce straight back to the Premier League this season after keeping the majority of their star players.
The Hornets were relegated to the Championship in the summer, bringing an end to their five-year stay in the Premier League.
It was thought there could be a mass exodus from Vicarage Road as a result, but they have kept most of their squad together.
The likes of captain Troy Deeney and Ismaila Sarr have stayed, while goalkeeper Ben Foster and midfielder Etienne Capoue have stuck around too.
And Cathcart believes that the squad sticking together means Watford can bounce straight back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
“We know that it was disappointing getting relegated,” said Cathcart. “We know that we have got a good squad, we should have done better last year.
“The fact that a lot of lads have stayed shows the ambition the club has to try and bounce back straight away. That is the main focus this season.
“We know it will be a long, difficult season. The Championship is a different type of football.
“You are going to have weeks where you are not going to play well and pick up results, and vice versa.
“So to have a big squad with the quality we’ve got – and we’ve got a few players coming back from injury that is going to make it even more competitive – shows things are looking good.
"We have definitely got the squad to do it.”
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