PILAU TALK

New skipper Troy treats himself to victory curry

TROY DEENEY went out for a curry after his hot show for Birmingham.

He had arrived in the Blues dressing room to the shock news that he had been made captain of his boyhood club.

Deeney responded by scoring one and making the other goal that ended Birmingham’s slide down the Championship table.

They hadn’t won for seven games and not even scored for six. So manager Lee Bowyer decided to call Captain Deeney to the rescue.

“Good day that wasn’t it?” said Deeney who was born and brought up eight miles from St Andrew’s.

“I’ve just said to the missus, I might treat myself to a curry. Everything, lamb, chicken, prawns the lot. A right bash.”

Bowyer deliberately kept the captaincy secret to keep the pressure off Deeney. “I didn’t know,” admitted the striker (below, right) who joined the Blues in the summer.

“I came down to the dressing room with a drink, put the drink down, and the armband was there in my space.

“I actually asked if there was a mistake. But then the manager just said go and enjoy it.

“It was nice, a proud moment. As a kid that’s what you dream about, being captain of your home-town club, seeing friends and family as you walk around.”

Deeney’s only Blues goal was a penalty in the 4-1 home thrashing by Fulham, Birmingham’s last goal before the big drought set in. His first goal in open play came from a superb pass by impressive Tahith Chong.

Deeney had one more thing to be happy about.

“I hadn’t started for a while, so that was to prove a point. I think that was my third start this calendar year since my injury,” he added.

“I see what fans are saying. As a player all you want to do is ram it straight back down their throat. As a fan you can change your opinion can’t you?

“Now they will be saying, ‘I knew he’d be good’.

“But last week I was

‘fat and I was s**t’. They aren’t saying that now.”

Swansea got back in the game with Michael Obafemi’s equaliser but then Deeney fed Aussie Riley McGree (below, left) for the winner.

“We looked like we were on top,” said Swans boss Russell Martin.

“We had a chance to go on and win, or at least get a point, but it was one game too many after those victories against West Brom

and Cardiff.”