Tommie Hoban admits Watford’s players may not have believed they were capable of achieving automatic promotion at the start of the season but says the Hornets now have everything in place to secure a top two finish.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s side are currently second in the Championship table and have won eight of their last eleven league matches.

While Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Ipswich Town was disappointing, the Golden Boys remain one of the form teams in the division ahead of crucial games against Derby County on Good Friday and Middlesbrough on Easter Monday.

And Hoban, who joined Watford at the age of 14 after being released by training ground neighbours Arsenal, believes the bond between the Hornets’ players will be vital during the end-of-season run-in.

“I would say the team spirit has built up as the season has gone on,” the 20-year-old said last week. “At the beginning of the season maybe we didn’t believe we could actually do it (automatic promotion).

“Now though everyone believes we can. The squad is in it for each other and is fighting for each other.

“If one person isn’t having the best of games then it is important everyone else pulls them through. But on days when the team isn’t at its best then we do have individuals who can get us the points out of nothing.

“But the team has everything at the moment. It has quality, belief, determination and every player is working together.”

Watford also possess the Championship’s in-form striker. Troy Deeney has struck eight times in his last nine games and needs just one more goal to become the first Hornets player to net on 20 occasions in three consecutive seasons.

“He is not very important at all to be honest,” Hoban joked as Deeney walked over and listened in on the interview. “Go away Troy and I’ll say something nice about you,” the the young centre-back added.

Once Deeney had walked away, Hoban gave his honest opinion on the striker’s importance to the Hornets side.

“He is our leader and our captain. We all look to him in the tough times and the amount of goals he has scored speaks for itself really.

“You know he isn’t going to miss when he gets a chance in front of goal and that is what need. But maybe I shouldn’t have said all that.”

Hoban has also shown the importance of his versatility in recent games. The young defender has played left-back and left-wing back in the past two matches and has performed well.

“The more you play in any position the more comfortable you get,” he explained. “I have had a few games on the left now so I am starting to feel a bit more comfortable in the position.

“My whole career I have been a centre-back so when I go and play out wide the pitch feels completely different.

“I am still getting used to it. I have by no means mastered it but the more I play out wide the better I will be there.”