Troy Deeney admits to going out five times a week at start of Watford career

Troy Deeney has admitted that the money that followed his move to Watford in 2010 turned him into a 'd***', also revealing that he had some less-than-ideal lifestyle habits during his early career.

Deeney arrived at the Hornets following a four-year spell with Walsall, who had spotted him when he bagged seven goals for non-league Chertsey Town - despite playing with a hangover.

The striker received a significant pay rise after making the move to Watford and speaking to the On the Judy Podcast, he confessed that the increased spending power changed him for the worse.

"I didn't really take the fame. The money took over more than the fame," he said.

"I went from £180 a week to £5,000 a week, straightaway, instantly, and I got a signing-on fee. The house I was living in cost £85,000. So like, I had a council house that we lived in and Mercedes C Class outside. I'm still living where we grew up.

"I'm still in the places I probably shouldn't have been at that time. I'm still around. I'm still approachable. So it was more than money that made me a bit of a d*** more than the fame because at this point, I just thought I was the man."

During this period of his career, first-team minutes were at a premium for Deeney and as a result he spent a lot of time out partying.

Asked whether he struggled with the step-up from League One to the Championship, Deeney laughed and replied: "You know what I actually struggled with? Going in [to training]."

He added: "I was drunk all the time. We went out Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I was out. I never turned up on a Monday. I've got about nine cats that died - and I never owned a cat in my life! I was an arsehole.

"And then I just turned up on a Saturday and also wasn't playing at the start because Marvin Sordell and Danny Graham hit the ground running, they were doing really well.

"So I'm like, I don't need to be fit to play 15 minutes. So just go out and have a good time. And my mentality was that this was all going to end. I fought at some point like this contract ends and we're back to playing for Chertsey Town.

"I didn't think you could leave leave Watford and go to Charlton or to Shrewsbury. I just thought you did that and they sent you back to where you came from."

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