Imrân Louza was thrilled to mark his first appearance of the 2022/23 season with an emphatic 4-0 win away at Stoke City, and the Morocco international is confident there is plenty more to come from the Golden Boys during their busy October schedule.
With Watford 1-0 up at the Bet365 Stadium, Louza was introduced to the action shortly before the hour mark, having completed his rehabilitation programme following knee surgery in the summer.
And the 23-year-old was instrumental in a dominant final half-an-hour in Staffordshire, grabbing an assist for Vakoun Bayo’s 84th-minute strike that put added gloss on the scoreline after earlier Ismaïla Sarr, Ken Sema and Keinan Davis strikes.
Louza acknowledged that there have been numerous challenges on his road to a first-team return over recent weeks and months, but insisted he is fighting fit and hungry for more after clocking his first minutes since April.
“It was a very important win,” the Hornets midfielder said. “We know we have plenty more to do going forward, but to score four goals without conceding away from home, in the manner we did, was great.
“The most important thing today is that it was a real team effort. The Head Coach asked me to go on and help the team hold the ball a bit more with a slightly different style, and together we did well and got the goals we needed for the result.
“It hasn’t been an easy period for me on a personal level, but all the work I’ve put in to help my knee is finally paying off. I felt good on the pitch, I managed to help my teammates and hopefully I can keep that up now.
“I need to keep managing my injury wisely, but I’m looking forward to getting more minutes over the next few weeks, to keep getting better and to keep helping the team.”
Watford’s first win on the road this season capped off a fine first week for new Head Coach Slaven Bilić, and Louza is excited by the team’s prospects under the Croatian’s stewardship.
And the Hornets’ number six reserved a mention for the club’s supporters, with the players having shared their celebrations in Stoke with those that had travelled for the lunchtime kick-off.
Louza added: “It’s been great so far with the new Head Coach - I think his philosophy is the same as mine as he wants to control the ball, and I think that is the best way for us to be able to perform as a team.
“The fans were brilliant today, as they always are. It doesn’t matter if we play at home or away - they always give us an extra push. It was great to give them a good win today, and hopefully there’s much more to come in the rest of this season.”
