Ikechi Anya says Watford’s players must prove they belong in the Premier League this season but believes there is no reason the Hornets shouldn’t be confident of surviving in the top flight.

The Golden Boys return for pre-season training on Monday to prepare for their forthcoming campaign, which begins on Saturday, August 8, at Everton.

Anya, who was playing non-league football only seven years ago, is under no illusion about the challenge facing Watford in the coming months but he believes the current squad is good enough to make their mark against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.

“With the quality that we’ve got in the squad, I don’t think there’s any reason not to be confident,” he told Watford’s website.

“We’re going to the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United – it’s going to be intense. It’s going to be crazy.

“Everyone says the Premier League is where you want to be. So if we want to be there, we need to prove that we’re good enough to be there.

“The aim should be to get to 40 points as quickly as possible, and then see how far up the league we can get.”