Adlene Guedioura knew he would have to be patient this summer. He knew he would have to sit tight for the majority of the transfer window. But the Algerian’s belief never wavered. He knew he would return to Watford.

On Tuesday afternoon his faith was rewarded. The Hornets agreed a deal with Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day and the midfielder signed a three-year contract with the Golden Boys.

Guedioura can finally call himself a Watford player. He is no longer being borrowed from the Eagles, as was the case last season.

“I am delighted to be back. This was all I wanted. I couldn’t be happier,” Guedioura said.

“I always believed I would come back and I never doubted it wouldn’t happen. My heart and spirit was still at Watford despite me being physically at Palace.

“If the move didn’t go through this summer I would of course have been disappointed. But I knew I would came back to Watford eventually.”

Guedioura’s desire to return to Vicarage Road was fuelled by what he helped the club accomplish last season.

The Algerian international had two separate loan spells at Watford during the previous campaign, the second of which lasted three months and ran from the end of February to the end of April.

There is no denying Guedioura played a vital role in helping the Hornets clinch promotion.

He produced several remarkable performances in the run-in, the stand out being his all-action display against Derby County.

During his time at Watford Guedioura developed an affinity with the Hornets players, staff and – most importantly – the supporters.

It’s why he turned down several offers from other clubs over the summer, despite not knowing if the Golden Boys would strike a deal with Palace.

“My mind was made up. If I wasn’t coming to Watford then I was staying at Palace,” he said.

“I would have waited until the next transfer window. I had a year left on my contract so I would have stayed. If it wasn’t Watford it was nobody. I wouldn’t have joined another club.”

He added: “It wasn’t easy. I had to fight for it. Watford offered good money to Palace earlier in the summer but it didn’t happen. So it was difficult to wait for Watford to come back again. I didn’t expect it to happen right at the end.

“It was difficult to train at Palace knowing I wouldn’t be in the team. But, at the end of the day, I thank Crystal Palace for letting me go where I wanted.”

Guedioura’s return to Watford was confirmed just 45 minutes before the transfer window closed.

Talks between the two clubs had been ongoing throughout the day, however, and the 29-year-old was so keen to ensure the move went through he travelled up to Hertfordshire before a bid had been accepted.

“There were talks but I was waiting for the bid to be accepted. It was a difficult and stressful day,” Guedioura said.

“I trained in the morning with Palace and after I finished I went back home.

“I live in central London but when I heard there were talks between Watford and Crystal Palace I decided to come closer to Watford’s training ground just in case.

“I didn’t want to delay anything if the offer was accepted. If nothing happened then that’s fine and I would’ve gone home. That would have been that. Fortunately I made the right decision.”

Given Guedioura’s standing among Watford fans the news of his re-signing proved extremely popular.

It even offset supporters’ disappointment at seeing the likes of Matej Vydra and Gabriele Angella leaving the Hornets on loan.

“I have a special relationship with the fans,” Guedioura said. “I want to give everything this season to help Watford stay up. The fans deserve that reward.

“The supporters have been unbelievable with me from the first moment I came to Watford. I want to repay that and show them what I can do again.

“There are new seats in the stands I’m told. So the crowd will be even bigger and they are going to see a great team. Their support is amazing.”

The Watford squad Guedioura has returned to is very different to the one he left in May. Players have come and gone but many familiar faces remain.

Guedioura has stayed in contact with many of those players who helped get Watford promoted and is happy to be reunited with the likes of Troy Deeney, Odion Ighalo and Heurelho Gomes.

“You can’t stop talking to people when you have lived through something that good. It was a special experience. So I have always kept talking to them.

“I am very happy to be back with the lads. It was logical for me to come back. The right choice. There is no doubt about it.”