‘He knows the club and he wanted to come,’ Ismaël speaks on Dennis’ return to Watford

Watford coach, Valérien Ismaël has revealed to his club’s official website ‘the hunger shown by Emmanuel Dennis was key in his return to Vicarage Road.’

Dennis completed a loan move back to Watford from Nottingham Forest for the rest of this season.

‘He knows the club and he wanted to come. He put a great mentality into the deal to make sure he can come to join us. He’s making a lot of sacrifice, which shows big mentality and that’s why we’re pleased that he’s in,’ Ismaël tells of the 26 year old Nigerian.

‘I know him very well for his capability to adapt his pace and his quality in one-v-ones. We put our attacking players in good positions all the time and sometimes we’re just missing the last pass or the final decision making. We expect him to bring more calmness and ruthlessness in the opposite box.’

The Hornets’ Head Coach revealed signing Dennis might have been an option in the summer 2023 transfer window, but at the time a traditional centre-forward was his main priority.

‘We were more targeting a number nine at that point,’ he explained.

‘We are taking Dennis now because we knew that we needed more pace on the wings and he is someone who is able to play all the three forward positions.

‘He is suitable for us due to the position we were seeking and the experience and quality he has. He has versatility and he brings the profile we need.

‘Now we will work with him to make sure that he’s ready to compete.’