Being coached by Slaven Bilic was one of the main reasons Ryan Porteous chose to join Watford ahead of other clubs.

The 23-year-old central defender turned down a new contract at Hibs and was courted by a number of Championship sides.

However, it was Watford he chose and being able to learn from Bilic was a key factor.

“First and foremost, the club’s ambition impressed me,” he said.

“Then there was the manager. He was a fantastic centre half in his career, and is now a very good coach who has coached at the top level. That means a lot to a young centre half.

“I had other coaches in my career who were centre halves, and they’d often do extra work with me or give me particular advice.

“There was other interest but when I started speaking to people at other clubs, there wasn’t any doubt in my mind that I wanted to come to Watford.”

Despite being relatively young, Porteous clocked up more than 150 appearances for Hibs and has grown up quickly.

“I like to think I’m a bit of a ball-playing centre half. Anyone who has watched me will know I like to get stuck in and I like to think I bring leadership,” he said.

“Being a young player at Hibs who has played the number of games I have when there’s been a turnover of managers and players, you have to learn to be a leader in the changing room quite early.

“I captained the team a few times and I was part of the leadership group last year. I’ve learned a lot.

“I do like to try and help as many of my teammates as I can, and that’ll be no different here.”

It’s never easy to judge the difference between Scottish and English club football, and Porteous said himself there are elements of both which make them strong.

“I think the Championship will be more challenging and there are more games. The quality of players across the division is probably significantly better.

“I do think a lot of people underplay Scottish football as well though. I’ve seen a lot of players go from the Championship, League One, League Two and then struggle in Scotland.

Watford Observer: Ryan Porteous in action for Hibs.Ryan Porteous in action for Hibs. (Image: PA)

“I think Scottish football is fast, you don’t get much time on the ball.

“I’ve played a lot of games at club level, I’ve played youth international football, I’ve got one full cap for Scotland and I’ve played a lot of games in Europe for Hibs.

“I feel like I’ve always adapted quite well to the different styles of football I’ve encountered.

“So I’m ready to adapt again and it’s exciting because in the Scottish Premier League there are only 12 teams so you end up playing each three or four times. And then the big two are light years ahead of the rest when it comes to trying to break into that top two.

“You can beat Rangers and Celtic in one-off games, and I have done, but over the season you’re sort of playing to be best of the rest.

“I’ve watched the Championship on TV every week and I have a lot of people that I know playing in the Championship too, and also the Premier League.

“I spoke to them and they said it’s a no brainer – come and play in the Championship. You’ll love the challenge.”

His one Scotland cap came against Ukraine in a Nations League match in September, and he hopes this move will help him add to it.

“That was another one of the main reasons I chose not to sign a new contract with Hibs,” he explained.

“I love the club and I enjoyed being there, but there’s a kind of natural order of things where you need to move on.

“I want to be playing for Scotland. Every few months I want to be in the squad, and be fighting for a starting spot in the national team.

“Whether that’s in a back three or back four, I feel I’m good enough to come to a club like Watford, work with these players and that will only help my international chances.”

Reading comments from Hibs fans on social media and in forums, one thing that is clear is that they regard Porteous as a master of  . . . ‘s**thousery’!

Basically, he’s quite happy to get in the faces of other players and isn’t frightened about not making friends once the whistle blows.

“Yeah, I think ‘pitch personality’ is probably a better way of describing it,” he laughed, adding “but I do know what you mean!

“That’s my style of play. I wouldn’t say I go out of my way to do it, but if the time is right then I will.

“That’s my pitch personality and I don’t want to change. When you’re young and naïve you make mistakes, but I’ve learned a lot in club football and it teaches you when to use that pitch personality and when not to.”