Jack Bonham made just one appearance for Watford. It came from the substitutes’ bench and, unfortunately for the goalkeeper, it is a debut many Hornets fans are unlikely to ever forget.

On the final day of the 2012/13 season the Hornets faced Leeds United and needed to win to stand a chance of automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Bonham was the club’s third choice goalkeeper on the day. An injury to Manuel Almunia in the warm-up meant he was promoted to the substitutes’ bench.

And then, in the 24th minute, Jonathan Bond collided with Ikechi Anya after a shove from Leeds winger Dominic Poleon and was brought off.

Bonham was thrown into one of the most important matches in Watford’s season.

He made two errors which led to goals, the second came in the final minute. The match was level at 1-1 and Watford needed to score to reach the Premier League.

But Leeds counter-attacked and Ross McCormack’s tame lob was pushed into his own net by Bonham. Watford ended up in the play-offs, lost in the final and Bonham was released at the end of that season.

He ended up at Brentford under the tutelage of Mark Warburton and was on the bench on Tuesday night as the Hornets defeated the Bees 2-1 in the Championship.

After the game Warburton was asked how the goalkeeper has developed during his time in west London.

He said: “We haven’t helped him here to be completely honest. We went up to Derby County last year in the Capital One Cup and we believed they would put out a weakened team.

“As it was they put their strongest side whilst we made nine changes. So he was exposed and we lost that game 5-0 which was very harsh.

"Then against Bradford last season, David Button was sent off and once again Jack is thrust into a match from the bench.

“So he has three character building incidents. And in the past three months there has been a big change in Jack and he has been outstanding. I would have no problem putting him in the first team.”

Warburton spent several years working in Watford’s Academy and played a role in helping the club establish their link with the Harefield Academy.

“I am very proud of Harefield,” the Brentford boss said. “A lot of the current Watford boys have come through that system.

"Tommie Hoban, George Byers, Sean Murray, Jonathan Bond and Bernard Mensah, who I believe has played for the first team recently. They are all great boys who came through that system and I am really pleased for them.”