It may be three-and-a-half years since Malky Mackay opted to leave Watford to join Cardiff City but the affection with which the Wigan Athletic manager still holds his former club was again evident after the Latics’ 2-1 defeat at Vicarage Road yesterday.

Signed by Aidy Boothroyd in 2005, the former Celtic, Norwich City and West Ham United defender helped steer the Hornets into the Premier League before he was appointed caretaker manager after Boothroyd’s departure.

The 42-year-old then served as first-team coach to Brendan Rodgers before succeeding him after the current Liverpool boss decided to move to Reading.

Mackay has spoken warmly of his relationship with Sir Elton John and Graham Taylor in the past and there was no change yesterday when the Watford Observer asked him how it felt to be part of the former chairman’s special day when a stand was named in his honour.

“It was terrific that it actually fell on this day,” he said. “I was speaking to Graham Taylor a few weeks ago in the lead up to the day that he had here himself and then I found it was today it [the stand] was going to be opened up.

“He’s a really, really special man for this football club; the two of them. It’s important the football club have got two really top men that have put a lot of their lives into this club and to have a stand named against each of them is really worthy. And to be here and have five minutes with him beforehand was special.”

Both Sir Elton and Taylor have told the Watford Observer in recent interviews that they have kept in touch with Mackay and the Wigan boss said: “That shows you the measure of both of them. Graham was a terrific help for me when I was the manager as a chairman that I could have a cup of tea with every Wednesday and bounce things off and talk to him. And Elton was someone that was on the phone every week or two.

“Sometimes that should really fall away when you leave a club but he’s never done that and he’s kept in touch all the way through for the last four years right up to this week.

"It shows you the measure of the people that you’ve got friendships that last like that.”

Much has changed at Vicarage Road since Mackay left, as he acknowledged with good humour, but the Scot believes the fundamental essence of the club will never alter.

“There’s a first-team squad for a start,” he reflected with a smile. “We had academy players and lower league diamonds and the odd x-factor loan and I think maybe you’ve got 40 players in your first-team squad now coming from various parts of Europe.

“There’s also a reasonable chance we’re going to get hot water in the home dressing room as well, although we don’t have hot water in the away dressing room – that’s another story.

"And there’s eventually a stand there where there wasn’t. But the fabric of the club will never change.

“This town and the people of this town is something that has grown for a long period of time and that will never leave and it’s something I see a great reflection in when I’m at Wigan Athletic - the type of people that are running that club and helping that club in the backroom and the back office, big supporters, just a small group of people in a local town that are working hard for their club.

“It was terrific being back here today. There’s a lot of people I’ve seen in terms of the people that work in the back office and the stewards that I had really fond memories of over six years, so long may it continue and I hope Watford do really well.”