Fighter Henderson shoots down critics

His personal torment was being laid bare every week - to the point where Watford's targetman wished the ground would finally open up beneath his size 11 boots.

His lowest moment came last autumn, when Watford were in their customary place at the foot of the 2006/07 table and he had just blown a golden opportunity to give his team their first win of the season at The Valley.

"I missed a sitter, we drew the game 0-0 and I remember thinking to myself afterwards that goal could have won us the game and got our season going," said Henderson.

"That was probably one of the lowest points I have had as a professional. I felt I had let not just myself down but my team-mates as well. That was a hard time."

There were many more dark days to come, it took an eye-watering 29 games and six months before Henderson finally ended his drought - his tally for the season was three.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard to deal with," he said. "There were stages when I was trying to kid myself and tell people it wasn't affecting me. However, it was and in terms of a mental barrier it was such that I couldn't even score in training at some stages - it did hit me for six. We had a sports psychologist and I think I was his main client last year.

"You don't get the opportunity to play in the Premier League every year, so that was an added factor.

"But you have to be accountable for your own actions and if I'm brutally honest I wasn't good enough last year. I would have to say it was down to a lack of composure and maybe the pressure must have got to me. It was mental rather than technical or an ability thing."

It took guts, then, for Henderson to step forward when Watford were awarded their first penalty of the season with the score locked at 0-0 at Upton Park in February.

"Anyone who watched the game could see I sprinted over to the ball straight away. There was nothing going through my head, 'What if I miss, what if I miss'. It was more: 'I need to score," he explained. "That's what drove me to taking the penalty. It was just one of the best feelings I have ever had."

After his summer break, he returned to the bombshell news that manager Adrian Boothroyd had accepted a £1.3million offer from Preston for him.

Henderson turned down the move - "I didn't want to go. It was a gut feeling of mine that I was going to stay and fight it out" - and Boothroyd then changed his mind and handed the former Reading and Gillingham striker a new four-year contract.

Henderson began this season on the bench but has justified his manager's faith by scoring nine goals as Watford have climbed to the Championship summit and is keeping £3.25m summer signing Nathan Ellington out of the team.

Indeed, his form was so hot in October that it earned him the Evening Standard Footballer of the Month award.

So, how has the mentality changed over the last 12 months?

"Now I expect to score," he said. "I hold my hands up and say maybe I did lack belief last season until I scored. To have the belief in scoring goals at that level you must have done it before."

DAZZLING DARIUS

Darius Henderson has been handed the Evening Standard player of the month award for his outstanding performances in October. During Watford's brilliant run of five consecutive victories, he . . .

slotted home the opener in a 2-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday

produced his seventh goal in as many starts in a 3-1 demolition of Scunthorpe

drilled in Watford's third as they thumped Coventry 3-0