Success committed to Nigerians’ legacies at Watford

Isaac Success reports that the club’s footprint in Nigeria is expanding on the back of the exploits of several Super Eagles at Vicarage Road.
Ben Iroha blazed a trail for his countrymen in 1998 when he joined the Hornets’ promotion push under Graham Taylor and then Danny Shittu, capped 32 times by his country, was recruited eight years later after Aidy Boothroyd took the team to the Premier League.
Odion Ighalo really put the Hornets on the map in a country with a population of more than 190 million after his goalscoring exploits in three remarkable years and then Isaac Success became Nigeria’s fifth-most expensive signing when he joined the Golden Boys from Granada.
Under-20 midfielder and future Super Eagle Tom Dele-Bashiru joined last week from Manchester City on a six-year deal and Success believes this latest signing is only going to heighten the interest in the Hornets in his homeland.
“It’s growing all the time,” he said. “Odion left a great legacy, I’m trying to do my best and now we have Tom. We just try to give our best and make our mark for Watford and so any Nigerians who come in the future have something to look up to. Of course we have fans out there. People love me there and they show me a lot of love whenever I go back. They support Watford because I am here, so we just have to keep working to make our country proud and make the Watford fans there happy.”
Dele-Bashiru, 19, and Success, 23, share the same agent and the new boy is sure to lean on the striker, who has played 55 times for the Golden Boys, as he bids to settle in to life in Hertfordshire as a Watford player.
“I haven’t watched him a lot but I know him,” said Success. “I’m going to be supportive to him now he’s here. He’s got to keep working hard, wait for his chance and then take it by working hard for the team. I plan to meet up with him and definitely have a real chat about what it’s like here. He’s my teammate and if it’s necessary for me to help him and encourage then I will. We are here to work for Watford and we must give our best.”
Success started his first pre-season game of the summer against Queens Park Rangers last Saturday and admits there is still a lot of hard work to be done.
“It’s been a tough few weeks and we are slowly getting into shape,” he said. “Pre-season has been really tiring for us all but we are trying to keep our levels high and get ready for the start of the Premier League. I was better before the start of last season and I’ve still got a lot of work to do. I want to get better and fitter for the league games. I can do more.”