Deeney steps up to give Hornets hope

HE IS the captain, leader, legend – Watford style.

No player is the life and soul of a Premier League club more than Troy Deeney, below, at Vicarage Road.And there is no one his team-mates would rather have had to convert the two pressure penalties which left

Nigel Pearson’s team on track for a Great Escape.

Will Hughes said: “I think everyone knows what Troy is like as a captain. He is vocal, gets the best out of players.

“To have the bottle to take two penalties and score them both says a lot about him.”

After Dwight Gayle gave Newcastle the first-half lead, Watford’s No9 smashed both penalties down the middle in a style reminiscent of Gary Lineker in theWorld Cup quarter-final against Cameroon at Italia 90.

Deeney, who later limped off with a nagging knee problem, said: “We’re in a relegation fight, we have been since the start of the season with the poor start that we had, but we’ve turned a corner and it’s in our own hands so we’re relishing that.”