Ben Foster says Watford’s squad is as strong as it has ever been and returning to the club from West Brom was a simple decision.

The keeper sealed a £4 million move from the Hawthorns on Thursday night, in a move which takes him back to a side he played for on loan between 2005 and 2007.

Watford have grown in stature since Foster’s first spell at the club and the 35-year-old feels the team is in rude health.

“I feel I had a really good connection with the Watford fans while I was here so it was a no-brainer [to come back] really,” Foster told the club website.

“Knowing the club makes it so much easier for me. If you’ve been there before, you know the set-up, you know the club. I know the area so it’s a real perfect fit.

“It was a chance to come back to a team that I don’t think has ever been this good. The quality we’ve got within the team from top to bottom is probably the best it has ever been.”

Having helped Watford to promotion in his first campaign at the club and been named Player of the Season the following year, it is little surprise Foster is well thought of at Vicarage Road.

His connection with West Brom is perhaps just as strong after spending the last seven years in the Midlands and leaving was not a decision he took lightly.

He admits that departing was a tough call to make, but the draw of returning to Watford was too big to refuse.

“West Brom has been my home for the last seven years and there’s not a bad thing I can say about the club,” he said.

“They were always absolutely brilliant with me, the fans were amazing, I’ve made some lifelong friends there and it’s a really nice club.

“It was a bit of a wrench to leave but Watford was probably one of the only clubs I would want to join.”