‘If I’m creating chances then the head coach can’t leave me out’

As if Quique Sanchez Flores doesn’t already have enough of a task on his hands trying to shoe horn Matej Vydra into his team, Steven Berghuis has now said he and Jose Manuel Jurado are fighting for the same spot in the side.

The mild-mannered and softly spoken Berghuis did not mean any kind of ultimatum to the head coach and was not the slightest bit disgruntled when stating how he and his fellow forward-thinking import both prefer to play on the right and cut in onto their favoured left foot. He was simply discussing where he sees himself flourishing in his new team. If anything it says more about Watford’s depth of resources that Vydra, who scored 16 goals last season, is yet to play a league minute of football while former Spanish and Dutch Under-21 internationals are both options for the spot on the right-hand side of the attacking triumvirate behind Troy Deeney.

“I like to play from the right,” said Berghuis. “In AZ when I was playing good it was always from there. Jurado is a really good player, I like that type of player. I think really we are the same, he likes also to play with his left from the right and I like to play with my left from the right, and try to create chances. We are always playing forward so it is going to be hard, there a lot of options and quality also. I think you have to show it by yourself if you are important for the team. If you show that and are scoring goals that’s why I think you are starting in that position. Creating chances, making assists, I think then he won’t take you out.”

Getting Berghuis, 23, in has been the problem so far. He limped off at half time of the Sevilla friendly and then missed the Everton game entirely through sickness.

“I was sick the whole week,” he said. “I had a stomach infection. I think I eat something wrong and it hit me, so I was off all week.”

Was it something his girlfriend rustled up at their apartment in Hadley Wood?

“I don’t know and I don’t want to know,” he laughed.

Berghuis recovered to play the final throes of the match against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and, as was the case against Sevilla, he looks like he will need time to adapt to a more physical and high energy type of game in England.

“I already feel it in training – the intensity is higher,” he said. “You have to get used to it and when you do you can show the extra qualities that you have – the ones Watford bought me for. I have to get used to the intensity. It is powerful and quick and going a little bit faster. That is normal I think, if you go from Holland to England. But if I get used to that hopefully I can show my qualities with the ball here.”

Nordin Wooter was the last Dutch winger to play for Watford. Click below to find out how he endeared himself to his teammates.

Can't imagine Berghuis sorting out a car for teamates like a previous Dutch winger. #watfordfc http://t.co/smTsJVEQps pic.twitter.com/J9OVlfL7Gj — WD Sport (@WDSport_) July 27, 2015

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