Abdoulaye Doucoure has labelled Ben Foster a legend and believes the goalkeeper is the best signing the club made during the summer transfer window.

Foster joined the Hornets from West Bromwich Albion in July as he returned to the club he represented with such distinction while on loan between 2005 and 2007.

The 35-year-old has wasted little time in making himself at home back at Vicarage Road and has made some key saves to contribute to Watford’s impressive start to the campaign.

Doucoure is full of praise for Foster’s impact and believes the goalkeeper is helping form the foundation from which Watford have been able to build on this term.

“Ben Foster is a very, very good addition to the squad. I call him a legend because he is an unbelievable player,” the Frenchman said.

“When you have a good goalkeeper everything starts well. Against Southampton he saved us a lot and then we got a goal to get a point.

“This year he has been very good and for me he is the best signing we made in the summer.”

Foster was one of a number of additions to the Watford side this summer as he joined Gerard Deulofeu, Adam Masina, Marc Navarro, Ben Wilmot and Ken Sema in moving to Watford.

Those new signings have added depth to an already talented squad which boasts the likes of Roberto Pereyra, Nathaniel Chalobah and Will Hughes.

Doucoure believes the current Watford side, when coupled with Javi Gracia’s steadying hand, is the strongest he has seen in his time with the Hornets.

He said: “It is the strongest squad I have been in at Watford because you have a manager who is very stable and doesn’t change a lot of things,

“I think that is good for the players and for him. Every player this year has competition because we have made some signings and all the players have improved. I think this is the strongest we have been.”