Hornets striker Matej Vydra admits he will not become a top player unless he is prepared to work hard for his teammates and listen to Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic.

When the 22-year-old returned to Vicarage Road for a second loan spell in the summer it was hoped that he, alongside Troy Deeney, would fire the Golden Boys into the Premier League.

His move was heralded as a statement of intent. The man who struck 22 times during the 2012/2013 campaign - and was named Championship player of the season - was back to lead the Golden Boys' promotion bid.

However, it has not gone exactly to the fairytale script. Vydra’s form was solid, if not spectacular, at the start of the season. He netted seven times in the club’s opening 15 games.

A run of 11 matches without a goal followed and he lost his place in the side to Odion Ighalo, whose form had drastically improved.

Jokanovic told Vydra he had to work harder for the team if he was to command a place in the Hornets side.

He took that advice on board and, on Saturday, was rewarded with a start and two goals as the Golden Boys defeated Leeds United 3-2.

When asked about Jokanovic’s constructive criticism at the end of last year, Vydra said on Saturday: "We had a meeting together and it was important I listened to him. I also listened to the people around me like my agent, my girlfriend and my family.

"I thought about what was said and I think if you have talent, you still have to work hard for the team. Without doing that you can’t be a top player. So it is something that I have to do."

He continued: "Being on the bench is part of football. If the two strikers in front of you are scoring goals then you have to sit there and make a choice.

"You either decide to work hard in the training sessions to try and get your place back or you don’t.

"I decided to work so I am happy that the goals are coming."

Jokanovic praised Vydra on Saturday. He said his striker was fighting, defending and believed in himself and his teammates. He ended that sentence with: "That is good news for me".

And it is good news for Vydra. His brace at Elland Road took his tally for the current season to ten. He is not as prolific as two years ago but believes that is because of differing expectations.

He said: "The first season I was here nobody knew who I was in England, so it was probably easier for me to score.

"Now people are looking to stop me. It’s the same for Ighalo and Troy. So it is more difficult to score.

"But to score goals is why I am here. If the manager puts me in the starting XI I will do as much as I can."

While Vydra hasn’t so far been able to match his goal-scoring exploits of two seasons ago, Watford have had little problem finding the net.

They are the top scoring side across England’s top four divisions, with 70 goals struck in just 35 league matches.

And Vydra has warned opposition sides that they will not be able to match the Hornets’ strike-force. "We are a strong team but without the hard work we would lose every game," he said. "No matter what happens though, if you score more goals than the other team you get the three points.

"If somebody scores four against us we will go and score five. As long as we get three points at the end of a game we are happy."