Javi Gracia signs four-and-a-half-year contract at Watford after promising Premier League start

Gracia joined Watford in January on an 18-month deal and has signed a new contract until 2023

Watford manager Javi Gracia has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract at the club following the Hornets' good start to the Premier League.

Gracia joined the Vicarage Road club on an 18-month deal in January 2018 after Marco Silva was sacked and guided Watford to four consecutive league wins at the start of the season, which saw him named as the manager of the month for August.

Watford are ninth in the league and are beginning to look like a settled side after managerial and player inconsistency plagued their last three seasons in the Premier League.

“I am very happy to extend my contract,” said Gracia. “I am very proud in this moment to be part of this club and to belong here for more seasons.”

"I think in this moment, this team is doing a lot of things well, but they know that being demanding, we can improve and compete better day-by-day. That's our target, to be demanding and to be ambitious. We don't know what target we can achieve, but I believe in this group of players and I think we will be able to give our supporters something to enjoy with our play and our results as well."

Scott Duxbury, club chairman and CEO, added: “We are delighted that Javi has agreed an extension to his contract.

“From day one it was clear that Javi worked well with us and shared our vision of how to achieve success for Watford Football Club, and we are looking forward to continuing that work together for many years to come.”

The Pozzo family, Watford's owners, tend to retain managers on short-term contracts, but this change clearly signifies that they are looking to take Watford onto better things.