Luke Dowling has left his role as sporting director with Watford.

Dowling confirmed he had been offered the chance to stay on in the role and spoke of his pride at the work he has undertaken while at the club.

“After three great seasons with Watford, I felt it was a good time to turn down the chance to stay on further and look for another project," he told the club website.

“I feel proud to have contributed to the success we had along the way. The promotion we enjoyed and then the FA Cup run while retaining our Premier League status has made my time an enjoyable and memorable one.

“I've worked with some great people at the club, and I thank Gino Pozzo and Scott Duxbury immensely for the opportunity to be part of it."