Leeds United boss Steve Evans admits beating Watford would be a major FA Cup coup

He is excited at the prospect of a quarter-final reward, but knows only too well the task facing his side as they travel to Vicarage Road.

While the Hertfordshire side may not be naturally recognised as one of the Premier League ‘big guns’, Evans says there can be no escaping the talents of a team currently ninth in England’s top flight.

With the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City still in the competition, Watford can be backed at 25-1 to win at Wembley, yet Evans insists the Hornets are one of the best sides left in the competition.

Furthermore, the Glaswegian is aware United are 27 places lower down the pyramid, and currently some distance away from the Premier League.

Evans admitted: “I think the finance in the Premier League enables you to put players in your squad that you can’t dream of in the Championship any more, unless you are subject to the big parachute payments that get paid.

“They went up and people thought they might sell (Troy) Deeney or they might sell certainly (Odion) Ighalo and people like that, but they kept those and they have added some real outstanding signings.

“From that point of view, it may not be seen as an upset if we were to beat them but in the football world it will.

“This is a club that is sitting ninth in the Premier League and they have only lost at Vicarage Road to the giants in England – like Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United.

“I think other than that they have been sweeping all before them there and I watched them myself recently draw at Chelsea and I said it took Chelsea 61 minutes to get a shot anywhere near Watford’s goal, such was the quality of the performance.”

Watford are unsurprisingly odds-on favourites to oblige on Saturday.

Evans, though, believes his men have the capabilities to progress to the quarter-finals with the head coach particularly fancying his chances in the event of an Elland Road replay.

The 53-year-old is also keen to remind his players there will be no second chance for a below par performance at Vicarage Road.

“The quarter-finals is a real prize for us,” said Evans. “Going to Watford and being in the Cup when we come out probably puts 30,000 in Elland Road for a replay.

“And I’ve always said, give us anyone at Elland Road and the way we played on Monday night and the way I think this team can play and we’ll have a real opportunity to get through to the quarter-finals.

“But first and foremost we can’t speak about that because we have one of the best sides left in the competition to play.

“I’ve been reasonably successful in the FA Cup but I’ve always said to the players that this ain’t a league game and there’s no coming back.

“I think it will be a fantastic atmosphere, I think we are taking nearly 4,500 supporters and if there would have been 15,000 tickets available, the ticket office people have told me it would have been 15,000 sales.”