ANDRE GRAY loves playing under Marco Silva, just as he enjoyed his time with Sean Dyche. Perhaps it was to be expected the striker’s past and present clubs are the two surprise packages of the Premier League season so far.

Signed for an estimated fee of £18.5million from Burnley, the 26-year-old became Watford’s record signing in August, a big-money move to put his difficult formative years behind him.

Gray was wanted by manager Silva, who has so far proved a good mentor to the former Brentford man. He is learning a whole different ball game under the highly rated Portuguese.

‘That was probably the main reason I came here, because of him. I’m learning a lot under the manager. It’s a completely different culture here to what I’m used to. I feel under his guidance I can get even better,’ he told Metro.

‘A lot of it is tactical and learning the best thing for me to do for the team. I feel like I’ve picked up on it quite a lot in a short space of time.

‘There are little things I need to work on but hopefully that comes with getting game time and getting used to the team and the different style of play here.’

Does he see his big price tag and the Hornets’ flying start as a burden? Gray has scored once in seven Premier League appearances since joining as Watford — with just one defeat in the league — have risen to eighth spot as we meet at the club’s training ground during the international break.

‘I don’t pay much attention to what people say,’ Gray said. ‘I just see it as I want to be scoring goals, whether I’m record signing or not.

‘I don’t see it as pressure, it’s just part of football. I want to do well for Watford and that’s just about proving to myself and the fans I can do it.

‘It’s a new challenge now. I feel like I’m proving myself here so far. I would have liked to have scored more but we’ve been getting the wins so that’s all that matters.’

Gray’s former club Burnley sit two places above Silva’s men in sixth after an equally impressive opening. Both teams are used to being written off as relegation fodder in pre-season but that has never fooled the striker.

‘We were written off last season at Burnley but again this season they’re flying high as we are. We know in the dressing room what we’re capable of,’ he added.

‘The manager’s given us great belief and the results have backed that up. In the game away at Bournemouth [a 2-0 win] we went there and dominated the whole match, it shows the manager’s work’s been paying off so far.’

For Gray, his rise — from his upbringing in Wolverhampton, via spells at Shrewsbury, Telford, Hinckley, Luton, Brentford and Burnley — would have been unthinkable a few years ago. He was struggling to make a name for himself in the semi-pro game before a loan spell at Hinckley, then in what is now the National League North, threw him a lifeline.

He was slowly able to put his troubled formative years behind him, by finding the net on a regular basis in the same vein as Jamie Vardy, who has since gone on to win the Premier League title with Leicester.

‘It’s hard to look back at those times and think I’d be getting bought for so much money,’ explained Gray, whose side return to action at home to Arsenal a week tomorrow.

‘It was hard to see but it’s gone quite quickly and I’m trying to take it all in my stride. I’ve always had ambition and first and foremost I want to be a success for Watford.

‘I wanted to do that at Burnley and felt like I did at the time. That’s not where I want to go back to — I want to stay at the highest level for as long as I can. Jamie Vardy is a prime example of what I want to achieve. I’m halfway there now but he shows what’s possible.

‘Even at his age now [30] he’s showing you’re never old until it’s time to hang your boots up.’

Gray was charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the Football Association last year following homophobic tweets he posted in 2012. He apologised, saying at that time he ‘was a completely different person to the man I am now’, was banned for four matches, fined and sent on an education course.

But he still bears the scar — literally — of his younger years. A four-inch mark from his lip to his left ear (pictured above) was the result of being stabbed on a night out in his native Wolverhampton six years ago. But Gray has put these troubles behind him, focused on football and, much like his team-mate and fellow west midlander Troy Deeney, managed to turn his life around.

‘Things that happened when I was younger do help me now,’ Gray said. ‘Some bad things aren’t always as bad as they seem later. They can be good for you. People might say Troy and me are similar. We didn’t grow up far from each other, have both had ups and downs, and ended up playing for the same team. Even now things happen in life but hopefully my experience helps me get through that.’

Gray’s anatomy

2009-2010: Shrewsbury Town — 4 appearances, 0 goals

2009-2010: AFC Telford United (loan) — 6, 1

2010: Hinckley United (loan) — 5, 0

2010-2012: Hinckley United — 65, 29

2012: Luton Town (loan) — 9, 5

2012-2014: Luton Town — 88, 47

2014-2015: Brentford — 47, 18

2015-2017: Burnley — 73, 32

2017-: Watford —7, 1

Language no barrier to a Rich friendship

TWO Watford new boys have struck up a bromance, despite hardly being able to speak to one another.

Andre Gray has it off with man-of-the-moment Richarlison, the 20-year-old Brazilian who has back-to-back last-minute goals.

The summer arrival from Fluminense hit the winner at Swansea and a late leveller at West Brom, but while he has got to grips with English football, he is yet to master the language.

The Hornets beat a host of big clubs to sign him and Gray (pictured below with Richarlison) revealed: ‘He’s a funny guy but he doesn’t speak much English. We get on well despite the language barrier.

‘This is just the start for him considering how young he is. I hope people don’t put too much pressure on him and that he can just enjoy his football here.

‘His quality speaks for itself, the language barrier’s not important — he’s a fantastic player.’