RODGERS: CARRY ON TALKING, KAS
Deeney inspired to his best ever season by Uncle Dave warning him he was too FAT
TROY DEENEY puts his best Premier League season down to an uncle collaring him at a family wedding and telling him: “You look fat.”
Watford’s talisman leads the Hornets into Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace as a marked man after admitting his team “took it in turns” to foul Wilfried Zaha at Vicarage Road earlier in the season.
And Deeney’s honesty landed him a £20,000 fine two months ago after his remark that referee David Coote had “bottled” a couple of possible red card decisions at Bournemouth.
But no home truth resonated more with the Watford skipper than a blunt pep talk from his Uncle Dave last summer.
Deeney got the message and, after shedding a stone, he has contributed nine goals and five assists.
He said: “My Uncle Dave did me a good turn in the summer. We were at my Mum’s wedding and he told me I looked fat.
“It was actually a bit more coarse than that. Dave runs his own metalworks business and is a straight-talker, which I’ve always appreciated about him.
“I’d been thinking of getting myself going and having a big push for it this year, and that comment sealed the deal. I’ve not really looked back from that point.
“Along with a bit of social media, a few fans giving me a bit of stick which I occasionally use for motivation, I made a choice to have a massive go at it.”
Deeney’s revelation in Watford’s matchday programme bookmarked a fine season and head coach Javi Gracia has earmarked him as a future manager.
Gracia said: “Troy has been very important to us from the beginning and he’s going to be important until the end.
“I’m not very interested in some stats more than my own opinion and, in this case, I know how important Troy is for us.
“He’s been in this team a long time, he knows the club better than anyone and I know he needs his team-mates to be able to show his characteristics and the things he can do.”
Deeney’s admission, on BBC Radio 5 Live, that his team-mates shared the fouls around when trying to stop Zaha caused outrage among Eagles fans.
Etienne Capoue was lucky to escape with only a yellow card for a poor challenge on the winger in the Hornets’ 2-1 win last August, and to ensure he did not pick up a second booking, Deeney admitted: “You take it in turns kicking him.”
DROG PLEA TO HAZARD
DIDIER DROGBA has told Eden Hazard he can realise his dreams with Chelsea.
Speculation about the Belgian’s future at Stamford Bridge increased this week as his hero Zinedine Zidane returned to Real Madrid to take over again as boss at the Bernabeu.
Hazard (right), still to sign the £300,000-a-week contract that Chelsea offered him last year, has made no secret of his desire to go to Real, but Drogba said: “Why should he leave? I think he can have this here in Chelsea. “I had many opportunities to leave and decided to stay to make my own story and win the Champions League here. He’s got a chance to make his own story. We need people like him.” BRENDAN RODGERS admitted he had heard that Kasper Schmeichel might be a tricky customer to deal with at Leicester.
The Foxes’ new boss was not sure what to expect from the Denmark keeper, who has a reputation for speaking his mind.
But Rodgers has been won over by the no-nonsense 32-year-old (above). He wants leaders who are not afraid to speak up and Schmeichel fits that bill. Rodgers said: “Kasper has personality. I heard the stories around him in terms of being hard to deal with. “But I haven’t found that at all. If you are going to play at the highest level then you need personality.” Schmeichel is one of the major voices in a dressing room accused of getting previous managers Claudio Ranieri and Claude Puel axed. Rodgers added: “The changing room was well documented, but I’ve found a bunch of boys who care about Leicester.” WEST HAM are set to return for Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez – when he could be £20million cheaper than he was in January.
Relegation-haunted Celta insisted then his £42m release clause had to be met but if they take the drop, Gomez becomes available for £22m.