Watford have sacked manager Marco Silva after just 6 months with the club.

The hornets blame Everton’s approach for the Portuguese in November as the “catalyst for this decision”.

A Watford statement reads:

They were “convinced the appointment of Silva” last summer “was the right one”.

And, without “the unwarranted approach” they would have “continued to prosper under his leadership”.

The statement added: “This has been a difficult decision and one not taken lightly.

“The catalyst for this decision is that unwarranted approach, something which the board believes has seen a significant deterioration in both focus and results to the point where the long-term future of Watford has been jeopardised.”