Will Hughes has reiterated his desire to remain focused on Watford despite ongoing speculation linking him with an England call up.

A strong opening to the season has seen Hughes start every game of the Hornets’ Premier League campaign and help the club to 13 points from their first seven games.

Gareth Southgate is set to announce his latest Three Lions squad on Thursday and Hughes’ name has once again been touted as a potential selection.

Hughes, though, is refusing to allow his attention to drift away from matters at Vicarage Road and understands only consistency will allow him to break into the international setup.

He said: “It is not at the forefront of my mind. I’ve just got to knuckle down and keep my head focused, play games and that is the main thing.

“I said from the start I just want to start a run of games in the Premier League. It is still very early days on that front, so I want to have a good season in the Premier League and who knows what will happen in the future.”

Southgate, who will lead England into UEFA Nations League ties with Croatia and Spain over the course of the international break, has already praised Hughes’ ability.

Watford boss Javi Gracia has also spoken of the quality possessed by the 23-year-old and insists he would be hugely proud to see any of his players earn international recognition.

Gracia’s impact has been clear on Hughes, with the Spanish head coach opting to play the former Derby man in a wide right role which gives him plenty of freedom to drift inside.

Hughes has found working with the 48-year-old a productive process and believes he has managed to create a positive atmosphere at Vicarage Road.

He said: “It’s really enjoyable. I think you can tell from the way that we are playing on the pitch that everyone’s battling for each other and running about.

“Sometimes they are the basics that you’ve got to do to get results. I think we have done well this season, we look very organised offensively and that’s helped a lot.”