Hornets legend Lloyd Doyley doesn’t know where his future lies. And at this point it isn’t really important. He is happy to simply be back playing after five months on the side-lines recovering from neck surgery.

The 32-year-old played 90 minutes for the Hornets’ Under-21 side at their London Colney training ground this afternoon as he attempts to build up his fitness.

A lot has changed since Doyley was last involved for Watford. The Hornets are in a new division. They have a new manager. They have signed countless new players. And Doyley is no longer a Hornet.

Yes, Doyley is training at Watford but he isn’t under contract. His deal expired at the end of June. He is a free agent and is able to speak to any other club about a move elsewhere.

Given his twenty-three year association with the Hornets it is hard to imagine Doyley pulling on another shirt. Perhaps that is why he hasn’t yet thought about it.

“I am just trying to get match fit,” he said. “It has been a frustrating five months. All I am concentrating on is getting a few games under my belt and seeing where it takes me.”

Doyley’s neck injury was, by his own admission, strange. He doesn’t know how it happened, only that is was likely to have been suffered in training.

“I had a slipped disc and it was on my spinal cord,” he said. “I was having tingles in my hands which is quite dangerous.

“But I still trained for a couple of weeks with it until I really realised. I told the doctor in April, had a scan and saw the surgeon. He told me I would have to wait four to six weeks.

“All the fans thought I might get a game at the end of the season. I always knew I wouldn’t.

“But I am all recovered now. I saw the surgeon a month ago and he gave me the all clear. So I am happy to be back playing and getting match fit.”

He continued: “I’ve never been out injured for that length of time. It was an odd injury to have as well, more of a rugby injury.

“I’ve been able to run and train but I haven’t been able to play football properly until the last month. I felt good and it is my first 90 minutes. So I am very happy.”

Since returning to full training Doyley has predominately worked with Watford’s youth sides.

He has, however, trained with Watford’s first team and has been impressed with the quality of the Hornets’ summer additions and head coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

That feeling appears very much mutual. “Doyley is a legend of Watford,” the Spaniard told the Watford Observer this afternoon.

“He is an amazing professional and, more importantly, he is an amazing person. He is working with us in training sometimes but we have to be careful not to affect his recovery. When Doyley is ready he will train with us.”

They are kind words from the Hornets boss. And Doyley deserves respect for what he represents at Watford.

He is more than just a full-back. More than just a player who is fifth in the club’s all-time list of appearance makers. Doyley is a superb object lesson of what can be achieved through hard work. Someone that the club’s youngsters can look up to.

“Lloyd is a top professional and everyone knows that,” Watford’s head of Academy Chris McGuane explained.

“What a career he has had and I am sure he will continue to have. He is an example for any young player of how you look after your body and apply yourself and train properly day in and day out.

“You look on the pitch and he just plays like someone who loves the game. The young players can all look up to him and learn a lot. But we have a whole first-team the young lads can look up to and aspire to.”

But will those young players be granted the same opportunity Doyley was in 2001? Will they be given a first-team chance? Doyley believes so.

He said: “If you are good enough it doesn’t matter how young you are. There are good youngsters here. The likes of George Byers are good players and even in the youth team there is Denilson (Carvalho). I think they’ve got a good future.”