On the same day that England’s Lionesses were flying home after finishing runners-up at the World Cup in Australia, Watford Women head coach Damon Lathrope was talking about the start of the new season.

It’s been another summer when the women’s game has had wall-to-wall coverage on mainstream TV, but a week after the England players lost to Spain, Watford start their new season at home to Durham on Sunday (12pm, Wealdstone FC).

It’s only three months since they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at Stadium MK in the National League Play-Off Final yet it feels much longer to Lathrope.

“We’re definitely ready for Sunday, and it feels like it’s been a long time coming,” he said.

“The start of the men’s season and then the Women’s World Cup has whetted the appetite, and made us ready for our first game even more.

“We’ve had a really good pre-season and now we are 100% ready to get started with competitive football.”

While winning the play-off was a momentous and emotional day, having to wait a few weeks to confirm what division you will be playing in does make preparing more difficult.

“There’s no question about it, it does alter things,” said Lathrope.

“All our other competition in the Championship were recruiting a month before we were because we didn’t know which division we were recruiting for.

“From a club perspective we weren’t sure what we’d be working with because the league you are in dictates what we might have at our disposal. There were a lot of questions that could only be answered once we knew where we stood.

“We were a month behind, but I feel like we’ve managed that really well and we’ve ended up with everything we wanted.”

Even before the win over Forest, Lathrope and his staff were mentally preparing and thinking of potential signings for the summer.

“We had a few targets in mind back then, if I’m being honest, and that was for both scenarios: National League and Championship,” he explained.

“If you don’t plan ahead then you are almost falling behind, so we did have targets in mind. We didn’t have a clue if we could get them though, and we couldn’t actively speak to those players until that play-off game was done and dusted and we knew where we were.

“As much as you try to prepare, it was dictated by the situation. Having said that, we are really pleased with what we’ve got.”

Watford have made seven new signings as well as boosting their squad further with three players on dual-signings from Arsenal – and Lathrope will introduce us to the newcomers in the Watford Observer later in the week.

However, being part-time in a division where the other 11 teams are full-time does pose challenges when trying to bring in new players.

“We aren’t full-time and we don’t do accommodation, and we don’t pay enough for this to be a player’s full-time job,” Lathrope pointed out.

“We’re the only part-time team in this division and the wages reflect that, but rightly so.

“We are quite a unique proposition when it comes to signing players, and what I will say is it sometimes has worked in our favour because we have been fortunate to sign some players who could easily be full-time but with their other work the part-time football suits them better.

“So being the only part-time club in the Championship can benefit us.

“But on the other side of things this league is a professional league and the vast majority of players do play football full-time, and that does narrow the market we’re working in.”

Newly-promoted and the only team that aren’t full-time: does that mean just staying in the Championship would be a big achievement for Watford?

“Internally we don’t want to limit our ambition,” said Lathrope.

“We believe in each other and what we’re doing, and we know that it’ll probably be a bigger achievement to stay up than it was to get promoted.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, but it’s a challenge we’re not afraid of by any means, and it’s one we’re going to relish.

“There is a belief among all the staff and over pre-season that belief has grown within the squad.

“It’s the oldest cliché in the book but we’ll take it one game at a time and attack each game. We’re confident that come the end of the season our hard work will have paid off.”

It may only be a rise of one division, but in terms of the difference in strength of opponents between the National League and the Championships there is a chasm.

“It’s a huge step up if I’m being honest,” said Lathrope.

“You’re going from a league where some teams are effectively playing for the fun of it to this league where it’s everyone’s livelihood. Football is their sole job.

“Naturally the levels go up: the performance levels, the fitness levels, the increases are things we have to take into consideration.

“Last year we were training three times a week and were probably the fittest team in the league, where most other teams were training twice a week maximum.

“Now it’s the opposite in this league.

“We know it’s a huge challenge but it’s one we’re going to relish. We quite like the idea of being the underdog and I think we’re going to surprise a few people this year.”

Although she announced her retirement as a player last season, Helen Ward was recently appointed as general manager of the women’s team which ensures her many years of knowledge and wisdom gained playing domestically and internationally are still readily available to Lathrope, his staff and players.

“That’s why we wanted Hels to still be a huge part of things,” he pointed out.

“We weren’t quite clear what that would look like at the end of the season, but she’s now the general manager and we’re over the moon.

“To have her around and to be able to tap into her knowledge of the league and her experiences of being in similar situations before.

“We’re going to have tough spells, and having people like Hels with her calm and experienced head will benefit every one of us.”

With the new domestic women’s season coming so soon after the World Cup, there is understandable belief that attendances and participation in the game will continue to increase.

“The game is only going one way, and I think we all know that,” said Lathrope.

“Off the back of the Euros you saw the impact, and though England couldn’t quite get over the last hurdle at the World Cup the exposure has been brilliant for the game.

“I’m sure that we’ll see again a really positive impact on the numbers of people watching games and the opportunities for young girls to play football.”

So what would Lathrope say to Watford fans, and particularly families of Hornets supporters, if they are considering going to watch the women in the Championship this season?

“I think the experience of watching Watford Women is unique,” he said.

“I’m fairly new to the women’s game myself and the environment and the matchday feel is completely different to the men’s game.

“It is such a family-orientated environment. It’s lovely for the kids and for those who don’t maybe enjoy people hurling abuse if we go 1-0 down. It’s more relaxed.

“For me it’s the family feel at our games. My kids come along and they absolutely love it. They can’t wait for matchdays, and that’s because of the interaction they get with the players after the game, and before the game too.

“I would highly encourage anyone to come down and watch a game – and by the way, the level of football has got so, so much better over the last four or five years and it’s only going to continue in that direction.

“You get a good quality of football and the whole matchday has a really nice family feel about it.”