Mackay finished his playing career at Vicarage Road

Watford chairman Jimmy Russo has said that the appointment of Malky Mackay as manager provides the continuity that is right for the club.

The former Celtic, West Ham and Norwich defender has been coaching at Vicarage Road since 2007.

Russo told BBC London 94.9: "There were some 50 to 60 decent candidates that came through.

"Malky was right to give us continuity. The knowledge he has of the club made him the right guy for us."

Mackay, who had a spell as caretaker boss at Vicarage Road in November, has replaced Brendan Rodgers, who left the Hornets to join Reading.

The Scot recorded two wins, a draw and a defeat in his time in charge.

Russo added: "I wouldn't say he was the obvious choice [to replace Rodgers] but he was definitely the frontrunner.

Russo, who took over as Watford chairman in March, is trying to restructure the club and said the appointment of Mackay will help him realise his goals.

"We've got a new ethos of how we work. We've got a new board and a team of people who want to put something in position for the future," added Russo.

"We interviewed Malky and he came across very well and we knew he was the right guy for us."

Russo also said that he will support the new manager in his attempt to sign players and keep current players at Vicarage Road.

"We'll see what Malky comes up with and we'll see what's also available out there," said Russo.

"It's quite an interesting market with a lot of clubs releasing a lot of players. All of sudden there's a lot more players out there who are available."

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