The Hornets’ latest recruit, Tom Ince, is ready to take to the Vicarage Road pitch and is excited to finally don the famous yellow of Watford.
A dynamic winger with a hugely impressive record against the Golden Boys, having notched five goals and four assists in nine matches, the 31-year-old will be hoping to match that for his new side having put pen-to-paper on an initial two-year deal.
When making the decision to move to The Vic, Ince considered his memories from playing against the club, but also the ambition of the current squad and management.
“As soon as Watford came calling, I know it’s a massive club with a great fanbase and I have played at Vicarage Road a few times throughout my long career so far,” Ince began.
“Most importantly for me is that I have always looked at Watford as a Premier League club. Everything about it – the facilities, the players and the history that the club has got. For me, I thought that it was a great challenge and Watford is a club that has always been in the mix trying to push at the right end of the table, trying to get to the promised land.
“I’m here to try and do exactly the same – to try and help the team and help this club achieve promotion this year and get back into the big time.”
When discussing the logistics of the move, Ince was immediately struck by the Hornets’ desire to acquire his services – a huge factor in securing his signature.
“I was at Reading last year and it’s quite well documented that I had a release clause,” he explained.
“It was a frustrating season for me last year with relegation and it’s never nice. Watford were then on the phone and, to be honest, I knew they wanted to get things done quickly. It was nice to have a club that want you.
“I showed them a lot of appreciation with how hard they were trying to work. As soon as I knew the interest was serious and that there was a good opportunity, I just wanted to get the deal done as quickly as possible to show that I’m ready to go.”
That previously-mentioned positive record against the Hornets has given supporters a taste of what Ince is capable of - a record the new signing is certainly aware of.
“So I’ve been told!” he laughed. “It’s not something that enters my mind. You always have those teams when you get lucky or it just seems to fall to you. I’ve enjoyed playing against Watford, they have had big players over the years and a fantastic stadium.
“It’s nice to be wearing the yellow of Watford and hopefully I can recreate the same stats against other teams.”
Ince’s father, and previous manager, Paul, has always played a part in his son’s career as an important mentor, but Tom explained that this was an opportunity that he didn’t need guidance for.
He continued: “As you get older, my dad has always been that shoulder I can lean on as far as advice, but what he has also said throughout my career is that I’m old enough to make those decisions myself.
“I said to him that this is a chance for me at my age to sign for a club trying to do well and playing in the big time. I feel fit as anything and probably had one of my best seasons for a long time last season, so I’m looking to recreate that same form and hopefully try to push up the table.”
Having only just arrived, the England youth international is still getting accustomed to his new surroundings at the London Colney training ground, but he is excited about the future and can’t wait for the first league match against Queens Park Rangers (Saturday August 5).
“It’s early days and sometimes you feel like the new kid at school again,” Ince said. “I know Ben Hamer because we shared a couple of seasons at Huddersfield Town. I have said hello to the other lads and I’m sure over the coming weeks, and during training, it will all fall naturally.
“As soon as you come into a new system and a new set-up you just want to get onto the grass and start kicking the ball about. I can’t wait to get the season going. The main aim is to try and do well each week, to try and win football matches, show what I can bring to the table and show why the club wanted to sign me.
“I’m happy to be here and I can’t wait to get going.”
