ELLIOT Watt insists City have no excuses not to make it a season to remember.

The midfielder made his comeback after injury in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Blackburn – their fifth on the bounce in pre-season.

Watt believes the club have been transformed “100 per cent” since last term on and off the pitch and a return to League One must be the goal.

“The standards are so much higher,” he said. “The players can feel it’s a much better place to be.

“Everything is there for us to go and succeed this year. We’ve got to go out and make it happen.

“There are no excuses whatsoever and we’ve talked about that in the changing room.

“We’ve been getting good results but it’s only pre-season. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.

“We’ve got to keep working in the next couple of weeks to get fitter and stronger.

“You can’t just turn up at any place and expect to get the result. You’ve got to earn it.”

Watt had sat out the first four friendlies with a tight quad that hung around longer than anticipated. But watching from the side gave him the chance to appreciate the competition in the squad.

He added: “Anyone can start on any given day and the team wouldn’t look any weaker.

“Fair play to Ryan Sparks who has done a great job. People were questioning his age in the media when he first got it.

“But he’s recruited the gaffer from Morecambe after he’s just got promoted to League One, look at the players being signed, look around the stadium with the dug-outs. Everything has just gone up a level.

“We’re a much happier camp, a much tighter squad. It’s a real team and there are no little groups, it’s a great place to come and play.”

Watt feels he has matured as a player going into his second year at Valley Parade.

“I think I’ve grown up a lot physically and mentally.

“I played in every game last season but that was my first full season in professional football.

“But with the amount I learned technically, tactically, physically, mentally, everything – I feel as though my game has improved a lot.

“When you get a gaffer coming in who has been there and done it, and won promotions with every club he’s been at, I’m trying to learn as much as I can from him and the players we’ve brought in.”