It says much about the draw of the Premier League that Watford were able to convince a Europa League winner who has also competed regularly in the Champions League to join a newly-promoted top-flight side this summer.

However, it says even more about the man heading up the project – on the field at least – that Jose Manuel Jurado chose to trade in the Russian Premier Division and a tilt at European football with Spartak Moscow for a battle against relegation with the Hornets.

It was under Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores that Jurado won the 2010 Europa League with Atletico Madrid, beating Roy Hodgson’s Fulham 2-1 in extra time thanks to a brace from ex-Manchester United striker Diego Forlan.

Jurado also won the UEFA Super Cup later that year as Atletico beat Internazionale and finished as runners up to Sevilla in the Copa Del Rey. So what makes a player with that background join a club embarking on the Premier League for just the third time?

“Quique is the one who convinced me to come here. To join the project,” the former Spanish Under-21 international revealed last week. “But at the same time, to play in the Premier League is a dream come true.”

He added: “The project at Watford is about building for the future. It is something I was very excited about when I first heard about it.”

And Jurado has every reason to trust Flores after their success together at the Vicente Calderon. The two men have something in common from the coach’s playing days, too. Both represented the behemoth that is Real Madrid.

For Flores it came after a lengthy association with Valencia before his career eventually wound down with Real Zaragoza. Jurado’s spell with Los Merengues totalled just four appearances before he left Real to join city rivals Atleti in 2006 for €3 million.

“When you move to a rival team it is never easy,” admitted Jurado.

“I knew if I stayed at Real Madrid I would not get as many minutes as Atletico were going to give me. Atletico gave me the opportunity to play in La Liga which was my objective.”

Real are characterised by the way they discard players in order to make way for the newest ‘Galactico’.

But Jurado believes his time there served him well, even if the club’s model made it impossible for him to break through.

“It is very difficult to play at Madrid, especially when you are a youngster because you know they have the best players in the whole world,” admitted Jurado.

“When I was there it was so difficult because of the quality players they had. Players like Zinedine Zidane, Robinho and Ronaldo.

“I was always training with them so when you train with them and look at what they do you always learn something.”

Gone are the days of Watford signing players who live out their careers in relative anonymity. Jurado is just the latest to arrive with genuine pedigree. Does that mean he is under pressure to live up to a reputation?

“Not so much pressure but responsibility,” he explained. “But that is something I like because it helps me to do better.

“I want to take everything I have learned in the last few years and bring it to Watford.”