It’s impossible to interview Lloyd Doyley without, at some point, mentioning that goal.
It was almost 15 years ago that Doyley headed home against QPR at Vicarage Road, the first time he had found the net for Watford after 269 first-team appearances without scoring.
The 41-year-old Hornets legend says he’s always happy to talk about it, and Matt Bevans – the Under-18s lead coach who Doyley is now working alongside in the Watford Academy – jokingly said it is all that he talks about!
“I always get people coming up to me and telling me where they were the night I scored that goal,” he said.
“It will always be in my heart and I will always remember that moment. It was a very good night for me, and judging by the reaction of the crowd it was something they enjoyed as well.”
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It didn’t lead to a more prolific burst of scoring, though Doyley did get a second and last Watford goal three years later in an away game at Bolton – though many who saw it questioned if it was an errant cross.
“My second goal was a shot, yes. I totally meant that!” Doyley laughed.
“My crossing wasn’t the best – but that one ended up in the net. It went in the top corner.”
Photographs of that memorable goal against QPR often show the now Hornets head coach Tim Cleverley giving Doyley a nudge towards the Watford fans behind the goal the Vicarage Road end.
“It was Tom who told me to go the fans to celebrate!” Doyley admitted.
“I played with him for a season, and that season he won Player of the Season despite only being here for six months.
“He was awesome that season, and for a youngster coming into an established first-team environment he was an old head on young shoulders.
“It’s no surprise to me he’s very quickly become a head coach.”
Danny Graham celebrates the QPR goal with Lloyd Doyley (Image: Action Images)
Doyley is now back working at London Colney, something he always wanted to happen.
“I always hoped that I would come back to Watford and coach one day, but I needed to wait for the right opportunity.
“I had a great time at Boreham Wood, and we had a lot of success even though we didn’t get promoted, and we earned the club a lot of money.
“I enjoyed the time I had coaching their Under-19s and being involved with the first team.
“It’s not easy to develop players. We were discussing this yesterday, and there’s a stat that about 0.1 per cent of all those who try go on to make it as professional footballers.
“The likelihood of a young player making it isn’t high, but it’s our job to try and improve our own success rate and produce players that are good enough for our first team.”
Thankfully, after many years of hardly any movement between Academy and first team, the last season or two has bucked that trend.
“I think you can see right now with players like Ryan Andrews being in the first team that the Academy players have someone they can see who has gone on and reach first-team level,” said Doyley.
“Hopefully our Under-18s are looking at Ryan and striving for the same.
“The game has changed since I was an Academy player here, and I guess you have different philosophies over time.
“When I was playing it was more direct, you had a big man up front next to a smaller man who was quicker.
“Now it’s a lot more possession of the ball on the ground, a lot more about movement and tactical awareness is more important nowadays.
“But football is football – ultimately it’s about getting results and producing players, and making sure they have an overall good understanding of the game.”
Under Cleverley’s leadership, all the Watford teams will play in the shape and style as the first team.
“When I came in for my first day, Tom came and spoke to me, Matt Bevans, Charlie Daniels and Dan Gosling, and just went through what he expects and will ask of his first team.
“And he went through the formation he wanted to play, and he said that he wanted us to do the same with our teams.
“Obviously during a game we might change things, but there is a conscious decision that we all work on the same formation.”
Above all else, Doyley is delighted to be returning back to his footballing home.
“Watford means a lot to me.
“I’ve been here since I was an Under-11 and I stayed at the club until I was 32.
“I was grateful to have 14 years in the Watford first team, and being granted a testimonial season.
“My kids support Watford, I live in Watford. The club and the town mean a lot.”
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