Malky Mackay says Ben Watson “will always be a hero” at Wigan Athletic for his FA Cup-winning goal and admitted it was a “difficult decision” to let him leave and join Watford.

As we reported earlier, the 29-year-old has joined the Hornets on a permanent basis until the end of the season and is eligible to potentially make his debut against Blackpool at Vicarage Road tomorrow.

Signed from Crystal Palace for £2 million, Watson famously scored the injury-time goal that beat Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup Final and former Hornets boss Mackay told Wigan’s website: “Ben will always be a hero at this club, and rightly so, not just for the goal in the FA Cup Final, but for being a terrific professional for six years. However, sometimes you have to make really difficult decisions in football.

“Ben is in the last six months of his contract and I need players here who are 100 per cent focused on helping us this season and beyond. We have to be realistic and do what’s best for the football club financially.

“When the move was first discussed Ben felt it would be something he would be interested in and the opportunity to move back near his family is important to him. We respect that, wish him all the best and thank him very much for what he has done at this club, but it’s time to move on.”

Watson made 133 appearances for the Latics, scoring 20 goals, but his time at the DW Stadium was marred by suffering two broken legs within the space of 15 months, the second of which meant he only returned to action in November.