Watford manager Quique Flores heaped praise on two-goal hero Odion Ighalo, who ignored interest from elsewhere to remain with the Premier League newcomers.
Ighalo fired Watford to a 2-1 win at Newcastle United on Saturday as he took his season tally to four goals but it could have been so different for both player and club.
The Nigeria international attracted interest from West Brom and Hull City after his 20 goals helped Watford to promotion last term, while a number of European clubs and a cashed-up Chinese outfit were believed to be monitoring his situation.
But the 26-year-old opted to stay at Vicarage Road, much to the delight of Flores.
"He took a decision two months ago to stay here at Watford - he had offers from other teams," he said.
"He decided to stay here with us, so it's clever because he saw something in the football that is good for him.
"He is involved a lot with the team in training during the week, so for us, he is a very important player.
"But I like to talk about the full squad because they are fighting like heroes every single week, they are playing really, really well. They try to improve every time and give the best they have, so it's not only one man.
"It was nice for Ighalo, but it was a very good performance from the whole squad."
