English Premier League newcomers Watford have exercised the option of a one-year extension to Bermuda forward Kane Crichlow’s contract.

Having successfully sealed an instant return to the top flight, finishing in the Sky Bet Championship’s second automatic promotion place, the club have already begun shaping their squad for next season.

Amid that process, Watford have submitted their retain-and-release lists after the Saturday English Football League deadline.

While experienced first team-team players such as Achraf Lazaar and Carlos Sánchez, as well as Jerome Sinclair and Mamadou M’Baye have been released, Crichlow is among a crop of young players who have been named among the retained list.

Among that list, seven academy players — midfielders Dan Phillips, Kamil Conteh and Bosun Lawal, forwards Dom Hutchinson and JJ McKiernan, and goalkeepers Dante Baptiste and Adam Parkes — have been offered new professional contracts, while 20-year-old Crichlow has seen the option of a one-year extension to his contract exercised, having signed an initial two-year deal in the summer of 2019.

The Bermuda forward has endured mixed fortunes at Vicarage Road since signing from AFC Wimbledon in 2019, breaking into the senior squad before seeing his progression curtailed by suffering a broken ankle while taking part in first-team training.

However, having made a full recovery at the beginning of this season, Crichlow, who has since worked his way back into contention for the first team, will rightly have renewed optimism heading into the next campaign of further progressing with the club.

The news of the contract extension is the latest positive step for Crichlow, who enjoyed the perfect start to his international career, scoring three goals in his first two games for Kyle Lightbourne’s side. He followed up a debut strike in the 5-1 opening World Cup qualifying defeat by Canada, with a brace in the 5-0 thrashing of Aruba.