Scott Loach believes Watford can "genuinely go places" and claims manager Malky Mackay was one of the main reasons he decided to sign a new long-term contract this week.

Loach signed a new three-year contract yesterday despite having more than two years remaining on the deal he agreed in April.

The England Under-21 keeper has been linked with a move away from Vicarage Road for much of this season following his excellent performances for Watford and the club's well-documented financial problems.

Tottenham Hotspur made a loan bid for Loach on the January transfer deadline day, with a view to signing him permanently for £2m in the summer. But Loach claims he always wanted to remain at Watford.

He said: "There was a lot of speculation before January about me leaving and going here, there and everywhere but I have always wanted to be here and not just me, my advisors and my family are happy here too.

"We have a young management behind us and I think they will be here a while and I want to keep progressing with them."

Loach has not missed a league game for Watford since November 2008 after Mackay, then interim manager following the departure of Aidy Boothroyd, brought the youngster back into the side following injury.

The former Lincoln City man has gone on to secure his spot as Watford and England Under-21 first choice keeper.

Loach added: "Signing the new contract was not just about the speculation, I believe I have performed well and I think we genuinely can go places and I have great faith in the backroom staff here.

"It was Malky who put me straight back into the first team after injury before Brendan [Rodgers] arrived, a lot of people forget that, and Malky has always shown that if I am doing well then he will keep playing me and playing games is the main thing for me at the moment."

Mackay added: "I am delighted for Scott, his family and everyone here at Watford.

"Scott has great potential and there was a chance in January, when on transfer deadline day a bid was made for him, that he could quite easily have put pressure on the club to leave but he, his family and advisors realised that for the good of Scott Loach and his future development, his immediate future needed to be here."

Loach joined the club in the summer of 2006 from Lincoln City and enjoyed loan spells at Stafford Rangers, Morecambe and Bradford City before securing the Watford number one jersey.

Mackay said: "He is maturing all the time and is a level-headed youngster. I have watched Scott literally grow in front of my eyes over the last three or four years so I am delighted he has pledged his future to us."

But Mackay stressed: "We cannot crystal ball gaze. Who knows what the next six months will bring. Who knew what was going to happen in the last six months at the club.

"All I would say is he has committed himself here and I am personally delighted that is the case."