It’s strictly business with Craig Cathcart. Even when it comes to facing Manchester United, his first club and the team he supported growing up, as Premier League equals.

The Hornets defender played and scored against the Red Devils in the top flight whilst at Blackpool during the 2010/11 campaign in a 3-2 defeat at Bloomfield Road.

But four years later it is a more experienced and more rounded Cathcart who got his second crack against the club he spent five years at without making a first team appearance.

And after an injury-time own goal from Troy Deeney robbed Watford of a point they had seemingly earned thanks to the skipper’s ice-cool penalty a matter of minutes earlier, Cathcart was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with his former teammates at full-time – though he was recognised by and spoke briefly to several members of United’s backroom team in the mixed zone afterwards.

Asked if he had spoken to any of the United players at full time on Saturday, the Ulsterman replied: “I don’t think there was anyone playing today who I played with, so not really.

“I think Jesse Lingard was there and obviously (Northern Ireland teammate) Paddy McNair, I spoke to him a little bit, but I didn’t really want to speak to them after the game to be honest.”

Indeed, even playing against the side he supported as a boy in Belfast was something of a non-event for 26-year-old.

“When you’re in the football business you can’t really look at it like that. You have to do your job. I’m at Watford now and the first thing I think about is doing well for Watford and pick up the wins.”

But the former Watford loanee was adamant he would always get the chance to face the Manchester giants once more, four years after he last played in the top flight for a solitary season with Blackpool.

He said: “I’ve been pretty confident I would get back to the Premier League.

“I’m glad I’m here at Watford now, things are going well and we’re pushing in the right direction. We will have to reflect over the week. We’ve pushed Man United all the way today and we’ll definitely take the positives from it.”

One such positive was the second half performance was followed a below-par display in the opening 45 minutes.

Head coach Quique Sanchez Flores introduced Chelsea loanee Nathan Ake in place of the underwhelming Jose Manuel Jurado at half time, freeing up Ikechi Anya to play down the left.

And the switch worked as Watford put Louis van Gaal’s side under increased pressure, eventually forcing a rash Marcos Rojo challenge on Odion Ighalo to earn a late penalty.

“Obviously I’m very disappointed and the lads are a bit deflated,” said Cathcart. “We didn’t play well at all in the first half and United made it difficult for us. They pressed us high up the pitch and we found it difficult to play our game.

“But in the second half we came out, put them under a lot of pressure and played a bit more direct with the midfield backing the play up and I think it showed because we created a few chances and probably deserved a draw out of the game.”

He added: “We felt the equaliser coming. We were creating chances and they had their backs to the wall a little bit.

“Obviously at this level it’s disappointing to get the equaliser then lose the goal like we did but there are positives to take from the game.

“To lose 1-0, I think it would have felt a little bit better than getting the equaliser and losing in the last minute, which was obviously devastating."