WATFORD boss Ray Lewington has admitted his surprise that no Premiership club made an offer for Heidar Helguson before the transfer window closed at midnight on Monday, January 31.

Chief executive Mark Ashton has confirmed that while the Hornets did receive enquiries for the 16-goal striker, no offer was received, but every interested party was told: "Helguson is not for sale".

"I was surprised no one did come in for him, I really was because he's been playing very well," said Lewington. "This is his best period, certainly since I've been at the club. You always think you're going to get an offer and I was pretty sure that whatever it was, from my point of view, I was going to turn it down but with these things they do have a habit of going to the player first and it unsettles the player and the player really does demand that he wants to go and he can make it very difficult for you. So I was very pleased that it went by and we had no offers."