On the face of it, signing a striker who hasn’t played since November and hasn’t scored a goal since March 17 is not something you’d expect to be greeted with almost unanimous euphoria among fans.

Supporters literally counting down to the confirmation of securing the services of someone who has played little more than five and a half hours of Turkish Super Lig football this season would normally be an absurd idea.

But this is Emmanuel Dennis – and Watford fans know what he can do.

Those who suffered the 2021/22 relegation campaign will have the odd happy memory: beating Villa on the opening day, that five-goal romp at Goodison Park, the 4-1 home pounding of Manchester United.

Dennis scored in each of those games, and added a further five assists.

At times he was simply unplayable, as many top-class Premier League defenders found out. Pace, power, an abundance of skill, the ability to be unpredictable and not just a goalscorer but a provider as well.

Ten goals in 33 Premier League appearances as part of a team that looked relegated long before it was confirmed would be evidence enough that Dennis is a top-level player.

That he also assisted in a further six goals shows he offers threat when he’s not scoring himself. Of course, there was also plenty of rumours that suggested he wasn’t the greatest team player ever, but we’ll come onto that later.

In summer 2022 it was pretty obvious that as a Championship club, Watford were unlikely to be able to retain the services of all three of Dennis, Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr – and with the need to bridge the financial gap that relegation brings, it’s safe to assume the Hornets were planning to cash in.

New head coach Rob Edwards had a tricky summer as he was trying to find his feet, build a squad and also wait to see which and how many of that triumvirate would still be on the books when the transfer window shut.

All three were linked with various moves to lots of different clubs at home and abroad, and yet when Watford lined up against Sheffield United for their first game of the season on Monday August 1, that was their three-pronged attack: Pedro, Sarr and Dennis.

Oh to be able to pick that front three now…

Dennis started the next game at West Brom as well (the Sarr wonder goal match) before completing a move to Nottingham Forest in a transfer that, with add-ons, could be worth up to €15m.

And ‘could’ is still a valid description of the deal. We must not forget that Dennis is still a Forest player, and is only on loan to Watford until the end of this season.

His arrival at the City Ground last summer was at a time when Forest seemed to be stockpiling players – unfairly possibly, if the charge of breaching Premier League profitability and sustainability is proven.

There were humorous memes of overcrowded double-decker buses and huge queues of people doing the rounds as Dennis was one of 25 players that Forest signed for a combined £125m.

He was doing well to get a seat on the team coach never mind a place in the starting XI, and only six PL starts plus three more in the cups shows what a frustrating season it must have been.

There was talk he would be allowed to leave on loan during January transfer window and, although that didn’t materialise, it was no surprise when he headed off to Turkey in the summer to join Basaksehir on a season-long loan.

Forest fans will probably class Dennis as an expensive flop, football fans generally will look at the bare stats and think the same – but the excitement with which Watford fans have greeted his second coming at Vicarage Road is proof they have seen what those other supporters haven’t.

Of course, there is that possible other side to Dennis, which no fans will ever see: his behaviour, attitude and conduct at the training ground and in the dressing room.

There was that infamous tabloid story which claimed other Watford players openly celebrated when Dennis left in summer 2022.

I’ve not found anyone who has ever confirmed that – but similarly, I’ve found it equally difficult to find anyone who would speak warmly on his behalf.

Of course, he played in a season when there were apparently several within the dressing room who made for a less than harmonious atmosphere, so he probably wasn’t alone in not leaving a great impression.

After all, who can forget the ‘warts and all’ interview Dan Gosling gave to The Watford Observer that summer?

Except for one very fleeting hello before a pre-season friendly in the summer he left, I have never met Dennis. I can’t judge him, except for what I saw on the pitch – and therefore it has to be exciting and possibly season-defining to have a player of his obvious talent for the next few months.

However, my delight at having Emmanuel Dennis the footballer back at Watford again is slightly tempered with the risk that Emmanuel Dennis the person could upset a unified and like-minded dressing room.

As one person I spoke to who played with Dennis said: “He’s got the X factor . . . but at what risk to the group?”

Reassuringly, that group has been gathered together, moulded and led by a head coach in Valerien Ismael, who is a strict disciplinarian (just ask Ben Hamer, Tom Dele-Bashiru etc) and a man who has repeatedly talked about the need for the right mindset, attitude and approach.

And then we have a group that now contains the likes of Jake Livermore and Wes Hoedt, two very strong leaders who are not slow to speak up and step in when required.

It’s unlikely Dennis will try walking onto the training pitch with a cup of coffee this time around…

There is also the lack of success at Forest and the brief, goalless spell in Turkey to factor in. If Dennis is, indeed, a character who thinks he can be successful without adopting the same attitude and following the same rules as everyone else, then a little bit of failure wouldn’t have hurt.

And, if this return turns into a disaster, it’s only a loan deal. He can be sent back. This is a shopping channel football transfer where you can simply send the item back, no questions asked, if you’re not happy.

It really shouldn’t come to that though – because it all feels so perfectly compatible.

A head coach, who rules with a rod of iron made stronger by the security of a new long-term contract, that has guided the team to within three points and three places of the Play-Off positions with a run of just three defeats in 18 league games.

A squad that is a blend of exciting youth and solid, mature experience – but with some gaps to fill, one of which happened to be a No.25 shirt crying out for pace, goals and that sprinkle of magic dust.

A player who shone in the Premier League but has seen his career stutter since, now returned to the bosom of a club where he is loved by fans who have seen first-hand just what he is capable of.

And, in Dennis, an individual who clearly loves being successful, revels in glory and has the perfect opportunity to get himself back playing and scoring regularly – letting his football do the talking on the pitch while perhaps off it rebuilding any bridges that were singed his during his previous time at the club.

Of course, there will have to be questions asked as to why Ismael chose not to take Dennis when he had the chance in the summer, if he is at all concerned about the player’s ability to integrate and not destabilise a very harmonised group, and whether someone who hasn’t played for more than two months can hit the ground running.

They will be asked, and the answers will be shared.

But for now, if the arrival of Dennis is a catalyst for a run to the play-offs then that alone would exceed expectations for this season. Anything more could be a game changer for Watford, on and off the pitch.

There are 18 league games, the possibility of the play-offs, and the chance of a cup run all still on the table with four or so months to go.

This week has injected enthusiasm, albeit with understandable notes of caution.

Whatever happens between now and May, it’ll be more exciting for the addition of Emmanuel Dennis.