Troy Deeney achieved something no other Watford player has managed in 31 years on Saturday – and one more league goal will see the striker join an even more select Hornets club.

Deeney’s quick-fire brace at the start of the second half in the 4-1 victory at Sheffield Wednesday saw him reach 20 goals in all competitions for the second successive season, ensuring he became the first Hornets player to reach that milestone since Luther Blissett in 1983.

Despite being the club’s record scorer, Blissett never scored 20 league goals in back-to-back seasons. But one more goal in the Hornets’ final eight games of the campaign will see Deeney become the first player to achieve that landmark since Cliff Holton in 1961.

Holton is one of only three players in Watford’s history to score at least 20 league goals in consecutive seasons following George James and Frank McPherson.

There have been 52 occasions when a player has scored 20 or more league and cup goals for Watford in a season and Deeney is one of eight to achieve it in at least two campaigns.

Along with Lane, Holton, McPherson and James, Tommy Barnett and Charlie Hare also scored 20 competitive goals in two different seasons for the club, while Blissett achieved the feat four times.

Deeney’s double at Hillsborough means he has now scored 55 league and cup goals since moving to Vicarage Road, meaning he is equal 20th on the club’s all-time list alongside Paul Wilkinson and Stewart Scullion. The next player in his sights is Gary Porter, who netted 56 times for the Hornets.

This article was researched using www.watfordfcarchive.com