EXCLUSIVE. He so nearly left Watford but now Pollock looks ahead.

Two new players have already been signed, with a handful of loanees expected to return, and the owner’s commitment to keeping the club’s best players. With a few more acquisitions in important areas, what will Watford have for the 25/26 season? “There is a lot of potential in this squad,” Mattie Pollock remarked in the third and final part of his exclusive Watford Observer interview (part one can be seen here, and part two here). “Speaking from experience, when you’ve had a bit of a breakthrough season – like KB or Rocco – the following season is when it really strikes you.

“We have some tremendous potential in there, and if it grows and people stay, if you aren’t pushing for promotion, something is wrong. “And, for me, much more so if you add some guys to the roster. “It takes a season to find your feet, and we had a few lads doing just that. They’ve gained experience throughout the years. “When I see these lads in training and in games, I know they’re good lads who will be better for the experience of last season and will kick on next season.” Pollock came close to departing Watford approximately 18 months ago. During the January 2024 transfer window, the defender was set to Europe – one he is very pleased collapsed.

“I’ve said all along, Watford gave me a chance at a tough point in my career when I’d just been relegated with Grimsby,” according to him. “I was injured and had not had the best of years, but Watford took a chance on me.” “As a footballer, you need to play games, and for a while at Watford, I didn’t feel like I was getting enough opportunities. “My plan was always to stay and go on loan if necessary, rather than leaving permanently. “I let myself down in that one game at Millwall, and I wanted to show myself and the fans that I could do it and who I was.

“I didn’t simply want to play; I also wanted to give back to the club. “I’ve been here four years, and I adore the club, the fans, and the neighbourhood. I needed to prove myself. “So the fact that I’m still here and have captained the club a few times means I’m excited. “Football works in funny ways: one day in January 2024 I was almost going to Belgium, that fell through and I got the chance to stay and show everyone what I can do.” After bringing up the historic Millwall game, it felt appropriate to describe Pollock’s full debut in east London on October 19, 2022.

Pollock, who was brought into the team by Slaven Bilic due to injury, was responsible for Millwall’s first goal, and the home side led 3-0 at half-time. Watford performed so poorly in the first 45 minutes that some fans returned to the station early to avoid additional punishment. Pollock played the entire 90 minutes, but was not named to the Watford starting lineup again until a 0-0 draw away to Sheffield Wednesday on January 31, 2024. He went on loan to Aberdeen in the interim, and now that he’s having his finest Watford season ever, has that night at The Den been forgotten?

“I don’t think it’ll ever be totally out of my head, and it’s something I use to motivate and inspire me,” added the coach. “That night was the steepest learning curve I’ve ever experienced. “If somebody ever asks me where I learnt the most, it was it – and not just on the pitch, but also off it. “It’s perhaps the largest single setback I’ve ever experienced. “It motivates me and keeps it in the back of my mind. “That game was the first time most Watford fans had seen me play and having it in the back of my mind motivates me to make sure every future performance is much better.”

There are only 67 days till the 25/26 season begins, and with Charlton Athletic securing the final spot with their Play-Off Final victory, the Championship’s whole roster is now revealed. “There is a lot of money coming up out of League One, and three very good teams coming down,” indicated Pollock. “But in the same breath, when we were demoted, we were seen as a large team, which meant nothing. “Watford is a large club that needs to push for promotion – I know we say that every year, but it’s true. “We spent a lot of time in and around the top six last season; we were there or near for around eight months.

“Coming down and getting straight back up is not easy. “We just have to make sure we do everything correctly and to the best of our abilities, and I’m sure the new manager and his staff will be planning for us to go up there and push. “There’s wealthy teams coming up and players with big names coming down, but we have been in the Premier League only a few years ago and that shows we can do it.”

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