Troy Deeney has a simple yet stern message for Watford’s promotion winning side: “We can’t go into the Premier League thinking our Championship exploits will be good enough. They won’t be.”

That is Deeney in a nutshell. Straight to the point. He doesn’t sugar-coat situations or look back on past glories with misty eyes.

The 27-year-old may have never played in the Premier League but he knows what is required to stay there. Improvement.

Watford’s players have to perform better than they have before. Be fitter than they have been before. Make fewer mistakes than they have before.

The Championship is a testing league; make no mistake about that. It’s a division where physicality is king and players have to cope with the punishing 46-game campaign.

But it is not the Premier League. There is no Eden Hazard in the Championship. No Sergio Aguero. No £200,000-a-week player who is ready to take advantage of even the smallest error.

Watford have strengthened their squad. Internationals such as Etienne Capoue and Jose Holebas have already signed and further additions are expected in the coming days.

But it is the players who got Watford into the top flight that must now fight harder than ever before to ensure they become top-flight footballers.

“We have all got to step up, it is as simple as that,” Deeney said after the Hornets kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 4-0 win at St Albans City.

“We can’t go into the Premier League thinking our Championship exploits will be good enough. They won’t be.

“We have to start again. We have signed high-calibre players but they have to fit in with the group and drive the group forward.

“That is the challenge for both sides. We need to get them comfortable at Watford and once they are comfortable then they have to push us on.

“The new lads have played in the big games. We’ve played in big games but they have been FA Cup ties, but the big games are now week in, week out.

“There is a massive demand on us now with Match of the Day and Sky Sports. We know what we need to do.”

What Watford have to do is survive in the Premier League. That won’t be easy and it is Quique Sanchez Flores’ job to ensure the Hornets finish no lower than 17th in the top flight.

But the Spaniard will, partly, have to learn on the job. While Flores has an excellent pedigree as a head coach he hasn’t worked in England before or lived in the country.

Deeney, however, already believes Flores is the best head coach he has worked with. Strong praise indeed.

But the striker has continuously had good relationships with the man in charge of the Watford side. Former Hornets boss Slavisa Jokanovic was no different.

“We were both old school men,” Deeney said. “We tested each other but then we came to respect and appreciate each other.

“This is football though. I have been in the game – and at Watford – long enough to know that you don’t hold feelings when somebody leaves.

“The two managers who left before him (Jokanovic) I got on really well with as well. He (Jokanovic) did a good job but couldn’t agree business terms and we move on.

“I sent him a text thanking him and wishing his family the best and he sent me one back saying same the thing back. That’s it, there are no hard feelings. It is just on to the next one.”

That never look back approach is also taken when Deeney discusses the departure of midfielder Daniel Tozser.

The Hungarian international played an important role in helping the Hornets earn promotion last season but announced this week he will leave Vicarage Road, although the club are yet to confirm his departure.

“It is part and parcel of football,” Deeney said. “It is hard to keep friendships in football because people change. So Dani will move on but I am sure he will be fine, he is not exactly short of offers.

“We thank him and move on. It happens. You look at Hoggy (Jonathan Hogg) he had the great moment in the famous Leicester match, setting me up to score, but he then moved on next season.

“People aren’t asking where he is now. People move on with their careers and so do we.”