Mariappa hails Richarlison 'character'

The Brazilian arrived at Vicarage Road in the summer from Fluminese and despite his inexperience in the Premier League, he has been one of the top performers for Watford in their strong start to the season.

Richarlison scored his second Premier League goal of the season with a stoppage-time winner in the Hornets' 2-1 victory against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, making it the first time the Hornets have won three consecutive away games in the top flight.

Defender Mariappa has been impressed by the 20-year-old who is proving that a language barrier doesn't hinder natural talent and hard work.

"He's fitted into the group straight away and settled in really well," Mariappa said of the winger.

"He's got character about him and his age doesn't seem to matter. He plays with a lot of personality and the boys really love him.

"He's had a great start, especially for a young lad, and puts a great shift in for the team. He's working on his English but he's always smiling. He's got a great attitude for a young kid and showed great composure for his goal."

Mariappa also praised the resistance his team-mate demonstrated after Tammy Abraham equalised for the Swans in the second half following Andre Gray's first goal since joining Watford in the summer.

"We could have crumbled after conceding the goal but we fought to get a massive win," Mariappa added.

"We never give up and it was important to have a response from last week. We weren't going to get too down about that because we all know Man City are a good side.

"But we weren't going to brush it under the carpet either. We analysed all the goals to see where we could improve and not let those lessons go to waste. This is a side now that's been in the league for a good few years and we want to push on from where we've finished in previous seasons."