Sebastian Prodl has spoken of the love he feels for Watford and their supportive fan base.

The Austrian defender, who is currently on international duty with his country ahead of friendlies with Slovenia and Luxembourg, joined the Hornets from Werder Bremen in 2015.

Having spent seven years with the Bundesliga outfit, the 30-year-old has a deep connection with Bremen, but says his relationship with Watford supporters rivals that which he felt in Germany.

“The fan scene is much more positive here than in Germany,” Prodl told Bild.”I played for Werder Bremen for seven years and I am rooted here.

“Such a club love as Watford, I have otherwise experienced only in Bremen.”

Prodl has grown in importance at Vicarage Road since making the move to England and took home Watford’s Player of the Year award last season.

He has had his troubled with form and fitness this term, but says the Watford fans have stuck by him and the club – a luxury he wasn’t given while with Bremen.

He said: “Even in times of crisis, we players are rarely insulted by the fans. That’s a big difference to the Bundesliga, where you sometimes have to take a lot.”

Prodl was part of a defence which struggled to cope with the fast-paced front three of Liverpool on Saturday as Watford’s lack of pace was exploited.

The speed with which the English game is played is, Prodl says, the biggest challenge compared to the more organised style seen in Germany’s top flight.

He said: “The pace is higher and the duels are much harder. But I grew up and have broad shoulders.”