From bit-part player to hat-trick hero, Tom Ince kick-started his Watford career against MK Dons after it seemed to have stalled last season.

He started only eight games during 23/24 after a £50,000 move from Reading, but the signs were there in pre-season that Tom Cleverley felt the former Derby and Stoke man had more to offer.

His three goals against the Dons showed his ability to make intelligent runs, a preparedness to shoot when given the opportunity and a true poacher’s knack of knowing where to be.

“In pre-season he came close to goals on numerous occasions and he is a really intelligent player, and I love intelligent players,” said Cleverley.

“Positionally he knows the game – you don’t need to coach players like him much because they know where to be.

“He can adapt within a game and he has real quality in that left foot too as he showed with his three well-taken goals and assist.

“I see Incey featuring a lot more than he did last season because he has attributes I really like.”

The Watford boss gave the captain’s armband to Mattie Pollock, who responded by scoring his first goal for the club to break the deadlock.

In January the big defender was asking for a transfer, seven months on he looks totally at home in Cleverley’s back three.

“He’s reliable and someone who really stands up to be counted,” the head coach said.

“He’s a real vocal one among the young players, and I think on Saturday he won 14 headers.

“That shows you how much he wants to step forward and be counted.

“Age isn’t a number when it comes to characters like that.”

There were also words of praise from Cleverley for Imran Louza, who spent the second half of last season out on loan and was appearing to edge towards the exit door.

“I thought Imran was fantastic for us today,” said his manager.

“MK Dons showed quality in the first 15 minutes of the second half but we also lost too many first and second contacts in that period.

“Imran was then a big part of turning that tide, coupled with the substitutions as I thought they had a really good impact and our third goal took the life out of MK Dons.”