Sean Dyche is confident the loan signing of Tomasz Kuszczak will not have a negative impact on the confidence of the goalkeepers already at the club.

Watford previously had three goalkeepers hoping to secure the number one spot at Watford, four if you included second-year scholar Jack Bonham – who already has a pro deal.

But the Hornets have this week completed the loan signing of experienced Manchester United and Poland goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak until the end of the season.

Scott Loach has been considered Watford's number one for more than three years and Rene Gilmartin and first-year professional Jonathan Bond have also been keen to impress the manager in search of a starting place.

Gilmartin was loaned out to Crawley Town a couple of weeks ago and Bond joined League Two basement club Dagenham and Redbridge on a one-month loan yesterday (Thursday).

When asked if he was concerned the signing of Kuszczak would have a negative impact on the goalkeepers already at the club, Dyche replied: “No absolutely not. I am absolutely buoyed by the fact that the demand is non-forgiving. It is part of any position on the pitch, including the goalkeeper.

“Jonathan Bond is young and is very talented. We like what he is doing and his development is on a good course this season; going out to a lower non-league side and then going into the Conference and then he had a first team start. Rene is out on loan, for the right reasons, and this is just a challenge for the number one spot.”

Dyche explained that he decided to sign Kuszczak after Loach had “a couple of indifferent moments” in recent matches but stressed the former West Bromwich Albion ‘keeper will have to perform if he is to remain in the side.

The Watford boss said: “Scott has done a very good job over a number of years for this club and is developing well but we just felt he had a couple of indifferent moments in games and felt that demand needed to increase further in his position.

“We think to get a keeper like Tomasz – a man of his standing in the game and who is recognised by Man United to be good enough to go there – was a very good bit of business for us and would reinforce the team.

“Obviously, he has to get in the team and deliver performances to keep him in the team and that doesn’t change, regardless of who is at the club.”

On the issue of how Loach reacted to the Kuszczak signing, Dyche added: “He is developing into an all-round professional and the hardship of a goalkeeper is that it is hard to be number one your whole career. So his job now is to make sure he is number one now we have brought in a goalkeeper of Tomasz’s stature and background.

“The demand increases and, as I have mentioned many times, if we can add to the demand by further impressing on the group that we will bring players in as we see fit to increase that demand, then so be it – and that is for every position we see appropriate.”

Both Dyche and Kuszczak have not ruled out a potential move in the summer and with Loach the previous number one and Bond considered highly rated, what does the future hold for Gilmartin? Dyche replied: “Rene is out there playing; that is his immediate future and his long-term future is yet to be seen.

“Tomasz is someone coming in on loan initially. Who knows where that will build to.

“First of all, you have to get in the team and play well and then all the other situations sort themselves out accordingly over the next few months.”