ADRIAN BOOTHROYD knew that his job was not on the line, but he did not expect the board meeting in July to end in laughter.

The former Bristol Rovers defender had done just enough to save Watford from dropping into Coca-Cola League One and the club’s directors wanted to know their manager’s plans for this season.

“I told the chairman and the board that I was looking for automatic promotion to the Premiership and that the play-offs were the minimum requirement,” Boothroyd said. “One or two of them fell off their chairs, but I am not conventional. I believe that anything is possible if you have the right mindset and I have changed people’s minds. Those directors are starting to believe what I believe.”

Ten months later, Watford are three games away from returning to the top flight for the first time in six years and Boothroyd, 35, is pleased with himself. A year ago he was worrying about relegation, now he is dreaming about pitting his wits against José Mourinho and Co.

“I made a plan for myself when I started coaching seven years ago,” Boothroyd said. “The most important thing for me was to manage in the Premiership, then to get into Europe and then to manage at international level.”

Crystal Palace and a potential play-offs final against Leeds United or Preston North End stand in the way of Boothroyd reaching the first staging post on his journey to the top, but he would still be coaching at Elland Road if he had not read a newspaper story about Watford last March.

“I saw that Ray Lewington had gone and they were looking for a young, progressive manager, so I sent my CV in and I got an interview,” he said. “I had applied for lots of jobs. I had applied for the Oxford job, the Wycombe job. You have to keep your eye on the papers and as soon as somebody gets the sack — which will come to me one day as well — then you have to be on your toes. So I got a chance and I managed to talk them into giving me the job.”

Watford’s players and supporters may have been expecting a bigger name to turn around their club’s fortunes, but, Boothroyd’s methods soon started to win them over and his team finished third in the Championship last week.

“The people who appointed me showed a lot of balls,” Boothroyd said. “The club had had some fantastic times and then they stabilised, so it was my turn to inject some enthusiasm. I remember people saying that I was too young to be a manager, but I knew I was ready because I was born ready. I live every day as if it is my last.”

Boothroyd talks a good game and spending an hour in his company at Watford’s training ground in Hertfordshire is like being on a rollercoaster ride. Does he like seeing his name linked with other clubs? Yes, because he likes having his ego massaged. Does he have a plan if Watford make it into the Barclays Premiership? Yes, he wrote it in January. How does he get on with members of the board? He tells them what to do, they listen and then do it. Does he enjoy hearing supporters singing his name? He would prefer it if they booed him because the experience would make him a better manager.

“I am not afraid of making mistakes,” he said. “I’ve made hundreds of mistakes this year, but I have created a learning environment — everyone gives me their opinions then I decide what we are going to do.”

WHAT HE SAYS ON THE PLAY-OFFS

ON HIS PLAYERS: “I wanted hungry people who wanted to be part of a something bigger than themselves — people who want to live the dream. I have a lot of dreamers and a lot of very hard-working people and I will keep on pushing them.”

ON CRYSTAL PALACE: “They have a far more experienced manager than we have, they have more experienced players and a chairman who expects them to be automatically promoted, and they have beaten us twice. They are the favourites.”

ON MOTIVATION: “I want to be the best that I can be and I want to get to the very top, and in order to do that I have to push myself to the limit.”

ON PRESSURE: “I like being under pressure. I have thrived on the chaos of what has gone on here.”