Watford's former chairman and honorary life president, Sir Elton John has said he is "so proud" of the club's achievements from the recently-concluded season.

The Hornets lifted themselves out of the Championship back into the Premier League at the first time of asking and Sir Elton was there on the final day of the season to hand out the Graham Taylor player of the season award to Ismaila Sarr.

Speaking to the club afterwards, he described the promotion as "amazing" and said he was proud of what the club had achieved under the stewardship of owner Gino Pozzo and CEO and chairman, Scott Duxbury.

"It's in my heart, my soul, you can't get rid of it. My passion for this club has never died and I'm so proud of this club," said Sir Elton. "This is an amazing achievement, and I know at one point we looked as if we were going to just qualify for the playoffs and then we had this incredible run. What can I say, I'm delighted.

"It's a whole different club. This is a proper Premier League club. I remember the old dressing rooms and the greyhound track. The Pozzos have done an incredible job and Scott's been amazing. I talk to him at least two or three times a week, which he probably hates, especially when we lose.

Watford Observer:

"When I first came in here as vice president, and we had the two stands and the dog track...to see us now is amazing. We took it on an amazing journey, we've never gone down from the Championship, we've always been in the Premier League or the Championship and I'm so proud of that, considering where we came from, what this club was, what it means to the community, how we've done that, and that was Graham's passion.

"We carried the on during COVID with the hospital next door. It's been an amazing trip."

Reflecting on the relegation and the season in the Championship, Sir Elton said the team had been "magnificent" since Xisco Munoz's arrival and that the club were returning to where they belonged.

"We didn't really deserve to go down, we had a bit of an unlucky run at the end of the season, but to come straight back up again in this division I think is really very, very hard," he said. "We always had the squad and the players, but it's a different ball game, the Championship to the Premier League.

"Xisco came in and changed the formation and the way we play, which suits us much better and the players have been magnificent."

Sir Elton finished by saying he was excited to return to a full Vicarage Road next season, to cheer the team on among his fellow supporters.

"Next year when we have the home support, they'll do even better," he predicted. "I'm dying to come back next year with the fans in the ground and the atmosphere and 'come on you 'orns' and to see all the flags and the scarves. Who wouldn't want to see that?

"We all miss it so much. We all miss the crowd, we miss going to the movies, we miss going to rock concerts, we miss going to the theatre or just going out for a meal.

"We're all human, we miss that contact."