AIDY BOOTHROYD believes Darius Henderson has replaced Marlon King as the darling of Vicarage Road.

Henderson produced a herculean performance as the lone striker on Tuesday night as ten-man Watford defeated Leicester City in what could turn out to be one of the defining moments of the season.

Built like a heavyweight boxer, the striker played like a man possessed at a rocking Vicarage Road, scoring the match-winning goal, leading the line magnificently and finishing up as an emergency centre-half as the Hornets dug deep to clinch a victory that kept them on top of the table.

"Darius's performance was fantastic," raved Boothroyd. "It was the best he has played. He went up against Patrick Kisbornbo, Gareth McAuley and even Stephen Clemence sometimes and dealt with all three of them.

"There had to be a new darling when Marlon left, and Nathan and Darius have been fighting for who is going to be the next cult hero," said the manager.

Henderson has won that race hands down, is now very much the focal point of the team and the new talisman. He returns to The Valley - the scene of his shocking miss last season - tomorrow (Saturday) as one of the most feared strikers in the Championship.

"Hendo's hold-up play has improved and he's benefited from that experiece of not being able to hit a barn door last season," explained the manager. "He's thriving and playing with Nathan Ellington has helped him a lot.

"Nathan is a different sort of player, a more all-round player and is capable of giving oppositions different problems. He drops off in little holes and gives the opposition something to think about."

Many observers feared a hangover following the departure of King, but his exit appears to have galvanised the team and liberated certain individuals. The same thing happened at Arsenal when Thierry Henry left for Barcelona.

"It has been seamless and we've gone back top so that justifies the decision to sell him really," said Boothroyd. "There is an intangible effect of a player who is so well thought of but that can put pressure on the other players. They sometimes look to him for that extra bit. But the minute he goes, everybody grows a couple of inches and expresses themselves more. It's not about one man and everybody's levels have gone up."

None more so than Henderson who was instrumental in back-to-back victories over Ipswich and Leicester, two results which have sent a clear statement of intent to the rest of the Championship that Watford are back in business.

"The last two games have been massive statements," said Boothroyd. "Football is a village and little things get out.

"People have thought the wheels have come off in the past and we just keep coming back, that's our trademark.

"If those two results means the fear factor has come back about playing us then great. But teams set up differently when that happens so it can have a negative effect. But we are now better equipped to cope with that as we have got different players and more depth."