Hornets midfielder Imrân Louza has learnt much from his first year in yellow, and is hoping to have a strong finish to the on-going Premier League campaign.
The Moroccan joined Watford from his hometown club of FC Nantes in the summer of 2021, following an impressive season in France where the playmaker notched seven goals in 35 appearances, helping the club avoid relegation.
Louza expects his knowledge and experience of being in a similar scenario to be useful over the coming weeks, as the Golden Boys look to escape the drop with seven fixtures to go.
“It’s not been easy [this season],” said Louza. “I went through this at Nantes last year so I have a bit of experience in these situations. Nothing is done until the end of the season.
“In the last few months, the squad has realised that more is needed. It’s always easy to say this afterwards, but every player knows we need to stick together and fight. For example, at Nantes last season, we stuck together and it made the difference. We need to do this here, everyone must give a bit more and it should work.
“In the first part of the season, I didn’t play much and I tried to encourage my teammates as much as possible. In the second part of the season, I’ve played more and brought my touch to the team and I will continue this to try and win these games and hopefully stay up.”
The midfield ace explained how the move to Vicarage Road came to fruition, and the initial difficulty he experienced adapting to England after 15 years at his boyhood side Nantes.
“As soon as I started talking with Watford, I looked into it and I asked players I know what they think of England,” he continued. “I really liked the feedback, and I made the decision to come here.
“It was a brutal change, especially after spending all my footballing career so far in Nantes. I can’t lie, it was tough at the start, leaving my friends and family. I was determined to be happy and play my football. I’m in one of the best leagues in the world, so it’s a great decision.
“If you look at where the English teams finish in the Champions League, you know it’s a huge league. I felt very inspired to come here.
“It’s a great discovery - a new league, a new town, a new language. It’s not an easy challenge, but I took it with ambition and it’s great to be here.”
Louza believes that the strong French-speaking contingent at Watford has helped him to acclimatise faster to his surroundings.
“Since January there are more French guys,” he said. “Hassane Kamara arrived, Moussa Sissoko [is here] too. It helps me but also the team.
“They speak English and everyone talks together. The squad gets on really well, despite the results on the pitch. It is a really important element in order to fight until the end.”
This Saturday’s (April 16, 3pm KO) opponents, Brentford, pose another challenge to Louza and his teammates at The Vic.
The 22-year-old is looking forward to the contest, revealing that he conversed with a Brentford player before moving to the Hornets.
“I spoke to Bryan Mbeumo, who was playing in the Championship,” Louza said. “I asked him how it was going for him. He guided me and it gave me a clear view of this league.
“We play against big teams every weekend which isn’t easy. To win matches we need to do more in terms of intensity when we have the ball. It will make the difference in the last few games.”
Louza has featured in every game, bar one, since the arrival of Watford manager Roy Hodgson in late January. He has enjoyed working under the Hornets boss, learning extensively from Hodgson.
And besides his success at club level the Moroccan has also prospered on the international stage this season, securing his nation’s place in the 2022 World Cup after beating DR Congo in the African qualifiers.
“He [Hodgson] gave me lots of confidence,” Louza added. “He speaks to me a lot. This is what I needed that I didn’t have at the start of the season. I've thanked him a lot and I try to give him good performances in return.
“He asks me to play my game and doesn’t go into too much detail. This is what I needed, I needed to feel the chemistry with the coach.
“It was an incredible moment [to qualify for the World Cup], unforgettable. A lot of pride. It’s one of the best decisions I made in my young career to play for Morocco. We have been rewarded for all the hard work we’ve put in.
“I want to thank the supporters who helped us get our ticket for the World Cup, but I have lots of work to do with Watford before I can start thinking properly about that.”
