Beppe Sannino singled out Lloyd Doyley for special praise after the 1-0 victory over Birmingham City on Tuesday.

The Hornets defender made his 428th appearance for the club after he came on as a substitute for Joel Exstrand who picked up a knee injury early on in the match.

Lloyd put in a resolute performance and was credited by Sanninio as being the type of player that he “dreams of having” citing his reason that players these days are more business minded and are not “born wearing the shirt” like Lloyd is.

From a fans perspective, whilst Doyley is not the most skilled player - an attribute that has earned him the loveable nickname ‘Loydinho’ - no supporter can doubt his tremendous loyalty and he has shown countless times that he is a talented defender.

One key gift that Lloyd has brought to Watford is his versatility to play in several different defensive positions ranging from center-back to wing-back. 

Lloyd has not only been a terrific servant to the club on the pitch but also off it. He is regularly involved with Watford’s community team and in recent months he visited a young supporter at his home to answer questions for the lucky junior Hornet.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that footballer’s careers are quite short compared to other professions.

It seems like only yesterday he was pulling on the jersey for his first game. Looking back, I can say whole-heartedly that it has been a joy to see him work his way up to the vastly respected veteran that he is today.

I have no doubt that when he finally hangs up his boots, should he wish to, he could continue in the game and become a great coach due to his excellent defensive knowledge and his great status as a role model. 

However, I still think he’s got a few seasons in him yet. So come on Lloyd, lets make it 500 plus appearances.