Troy Deeney's honesty is what continues to make him a superb interview and it would have been easy for the striker to toe the party line when asked about the events which led to him signing a new four-year contract at Watford this week.

He could have stated: "I didn't consider leaving Watford for one second, I'm 100 per cent happy with the club's valuation of me and I would never consider handing in a transfer request".

However, Deeney always appears to be honest when addressing the media. Sometimes too honest for his own good. But it is refreshing nonetheless.

The Hornets' captain admits he did consider leaving the Golden Boys this summer and makes no secret about his desire to play Premier League football.

"I’m not going to lie and say ‘I never thought about moving’ because it wouldn’t have been normal if I didn’t," Deeney admitted.

A lot of footballers use sound bites to praise their respective club's supporters but you get the feeling with Deeney that he probably meant it when he then added: "But I thought about it and the deciding factor was on the first game against Bolton, I came out and got a massive reception.

"It was a bit like when I first came back [following a spell in prison], it was a bit like: ‘Were people going to be a little bit funny [with me]?’ I didn’t play all of the pre-season games and loads of stuff was coming out but the PA said my name and everyone gave me a big cheer. And as we were coming off [the pitch], they gave me a massive cheer again and my missus said to me: ‘Would you get that anywhere else?’ And I was like: ‘I probably would get it but I’d have to earn it all again’.

"In the Premier League it’s not as forgiving; if you’re not scoring after three games, you’re terrible. (Matej) Vydra is a perfect example of that – his stock fell really quickly. We looked at it and we decided, as of right now, this is probably the right thing for us."

Watford's strong stance was probably a factor as well. Early in the summer, we understand offers of around £10m would have been considered by the Golden Boys.

However, once the season started, and Deeney excelled against Bolton Wanderers, owner Gino Pozzo made it clear their new captain would not be sold, even if a club bid an absurd fee.

We were told Leicester City submitted a third offer of £10m, plus an additional £2m in add-ons, but it was rejected by the club, even though it probably would have been enough to secure the player's services a month earlier.

Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City, Burnley and Norwich City all submitted bids for the 26-year-old and they were turned down.

Once Pozzo made his decision they would not sell Deeney, Watford started initial contract negotiations with the player's agent two weeks ago.

Deeney confirmed the negotiations increased on Monday and the deal was signed on Wednesday afternoon.

We have been told the club had initially hoped to tie Deeney down to a three-year contract but on Wednesday 'compromises' were made over the deal and the club insisted on a fourth year.

At one stage, it looked unlikely negotiations would be concluded on Wednesday and a further meeting was pencilled in for Sunday. But in the end, the deal was done and all parties were, seemingly, left happy.

Deeney was asked if he would have considered staying even if the club didn't offer him a new contract on more money. He said: "I wasn’t getting paid the minimum wage before, so I was doing all right. I think it’s just the fact they’ve realised I’ve done all right over the last two years and I haven’t kicked up a fuss [about not moving], so there is a mutual respect kind of thing there."

He added: "I think in the past, with lads like Danny (Graham) and Marvin (Sordell); if you do well, you get sold – it’s sort of the ‘Watford Way'.

"Now we’ve got Gino Pozzo in, he’s bucked the trend and he’s let everybody know - and I think he showed last year with Vydra - that if you want one of his players then you’re going to have to be willing to fork out some money.

"I’m paid quite well, so I’m not really going to mess that up by throwing in a transfer request and being all cheesy – it’s not really my style. If I put in a transfer request and he says no, I look like an idiot don’t I?

"That was it, it was just a case of doing your job, getting paid and I always knew if I wasn’t going to move, they were going to offer me something new, so it was never really a case of being stuck on the same thing. At the very least, I was going to stay here for another four more years [on an improved contract]."

Watford Observer: Frank Smith was 'hugely impressed' with Gino Pozzo when he met Watford's co-owner last week. Picture: Holly Cant

Watford owner Gino Pozzo decided after the Bolton game that the club would not be selling Troy Deeney, even if they received on offer which matched their previous valuation of the striker.

 

One news outlet reported after the Norwich City match two weeks ago that Deeney was unhappy at the club's stance and was considering handing in a transfer request.

"You know about them sources mate, a lot of them are not true," Deeney replied when asked about the report. "Until you hear it from Troy or from Watford, it’s just people talking. I was never, ever going to throw a transfer request in; not unless someone offered like £12m and the club were being stupid, then we may have gone down that route. It was just a case of playing your position and not kicking up a fuss over nothing."

Deeney was linked with a move away from the club last summer, with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United among the clubs linked. In the end, Hull City were the only club to submit an offer, which was rejected by Watford.

The club's top scorer from last season claims the transfer speculation this year has not affected him too much, saying: "It hasn’t actually been that bad. The season before was more stressful because I was new to it then. This season I’ve been chilling.

"I’ve got other stuff to worry about; I got married in the summer and I have a daughter on the way as well (due in ten weeks) so I’m just grafting. We weren’t here for three weeks as well when we were in Austria, so that helped."

Deeney did post a message on Twitter directed at the Watford Observer last week, highlighting that there was a new transfer story every week despite the player not being allowed to speak to the newspaper.

He explained: "It becomes frustrating because I’m quite an honest person and when it’s other people talking about me, it becomes a bit annoying. I have to try to remain professional but every now and again, I do have a human side which kicks in and I do get a little bit annoyed because it’s just stories and everyone seems to know more than me. That’s how it felt at the time, even though I knew what was happening along the way.

"If you’re the general public and you’re just picking up these papers and see Watford turning down £10m and all that nonsense; after a while it was like: ‘Come on, have you not have had enough of this yet?’"

Deeney is not one who is renowned for biting his tongue, but accepted: "It is part of the game. I’m not a 21-year-old anymore who just runs off his mouth. I have to think about everything I do before I do it. If I put things up on my Instagram or my Twitter, nine times out of ten I’ve thought about what I’m doing before I do it. It’s just part and parcel of the game and growing up. Now I’m captain, I have to have a bit more responsibility in terms of what I do and what I say. I’m representing the club at the end of the day, so I’ve got to think of that as well."

This summer has seen several Championship clubs involved with deals worth millions of pounds.

We understand Fulham's signing of Ross McCormack was worth an initial £6m but the £11m figure being reported - which includes significant performance-based add-ons - has helped increase the fees clubs in the second tier can demand.

On the club's large valuation for him, Deeney continued: "No [I was not overly frustrated]. I think that’s just the frustration of every striker in this league. Anyone who scores over 15 goals a season wants to get a move. What did Britt (Assombalonga) move for? £5.5m rising to £8m? The boy from Brighton (Leonardo Ulloa) went for £7.5m, Ross (McCormack) went for £11m, and it’s just unrealistic isn’t it?

"(Mario) Balotelli, if you look at his whole record; won the Champions League, won Serie A, won the Premier League, he’s been involved in the World Cup and he’s gone for £16m. Ross McCormack scored for Leeds in the Championship and he’s gone for £11m. Come on.

"I understand it’s a business but it doesn’t really make sense, because we’re all moaning there’s not enough English talent in the Premier League but we’re overpricing them. We’re defeating our own battle."

Read more from Troy Deeney here.