Tom Dele-Bashiru insists he and his Watford team-mates are firmly behind head coach Javi Gracia following Tuesday evening's Carabao Cup win over Coventry City.

The former Manchester City midfielder came off the bench to make his Hornets' debut and after the game said the players are not focusing on rumours concerning the head coach's future.

Following Watford's home defeat to West Ham at the weekend, reports had suggested Gracia was on the brink of losing his job, however, Dele-Bashiru said the players were only thinking about the best way to work through their current predicament, with the head coach.

He also spoke of how Gracia has helped him personally and why he wants to continue working with the Spaniard.

"The team and the players are behind him," he said.

"We don't try and focus on rumours and stuff, we just try and keep a tight-knit team and work hard for each other and work hard for the manager and try and improve on our results.

"I think he's got faith in younger players. There's a pathway for young players - if you show that you're good enough, I think the manager will show faith.

"I've learnt to improve defensive aspects of my game because I'm more of an attacking minded player, but it's also good to have the other side of the game and he's helped me understand my position in the middle."

Dele-Bashiru was also grateful to Gracia for handing him his Watford debut and is now focusing on breaking through into the first-team with greater regularity.

However, he admitted he was a bit disappointed not to have scored with his first touch, after he was played through on goal and put his shot just wide.

"It was a good feeling to make my debut - I've been working hard in training and trying to prove a point," he said.

"Obviously, it would have been better to score with my first touch, but I think that'll come with some more game sharpness, so I'm just happy to have made my debut.

"I can help the team going forward, I like to play in between the lines and create chances and make runs in behind, so I'd like to help the team but that's down to the manager, he picks the team he thinks is best for each game.

"Of course I'd like to break through in the Premier League, but I take each step as it comes. I'm happy to make my debut in this cup and hopefully I can carry on improving and maybe help the manager to pick me in the Premier League games."

Looking ahead to this weekend's game at Newcastle, the Nigerian youngster said that the side was well focused on achieving results in the Premier League now.

He is hoping Watford can execute a game plan as well as they did against Coventry, despite them being under a bit of pressure.

"Obviously there's a bit of pressure because sometimes people undermine teams from the lower leagues, but we were focused," he said.

"We knew that they were a good team and we have to take every game like it's a cup final and we planned the game and we executed it well.

"We focus on the next game so now Newcastle will be the main priority and I think we're ready."

After gaining his first taste of football at Vicarage Road, Dele-Bashiru said that he feels he made the right choice to walk away from Manchester City in pursuit of more first-team football.

The 19-year-old said that City boss Pep Guardiola had taught him a lot during his time with the Premier League champions, but that it was the right time for him to move on.

"It was difficult to walk away because I'd been there for nearly 15 years," he said.

"But at the end of the day, I felt like this was the best step for my personal career and I'm happy I made the decision to move away.

"I trained a lot with the first team [at Man City] and obviously he [Guardiola] gave me the chance to make my debut. He's a good mentor and I owe a lot to him, he's taught me a lot of things, he's a good guy.

"It was just the desire to play first team football, I think that was the next step in my career and I think it was the right decision.

"It's a great stadium, the pitch is amazing and the fans are great as well, so it's very welcoming and feels like a family, so it's good."