Watford: Troy Deeney insists playing on the edge is key to finding best form

First came an altercation with Joe Allen, which saw the Watford skipper luckily escape a red card for digging his fingers into the Stoke man’s face, then a dismissal against Huddersfield for a reckless challenge.

An ill-advised celebration against Chelsea followed in February – again Deeney dodged further punishment – to add to the 29-year-old’s rap sheet.

Deeney refuses to linger on his actions and insists he needs to play on the edge to reach his best level.

“It’s just me. I don’t mean that in a flippant way. I’m not perfect, I’ll always make mistakes,” Deeney said.

“Everyone who is close enough sees I am regretful, I’m not stupid and naïve. Also, I won’t come out and apologise for being myself.

“That’s just the way I am and if I play with a little bit of niceness, it takes about 20 per cent away from my game.

“If you ask the big man [Stefano] Okaka, we’re similar. We both play on the edge and we get into people. That brings out the best in us and we enjoy the physical side of it.”

Deeney has largely been playing with a smile on his face since the turn of the year, and looks to be benefitting from finding full fitness and being the focal point under Javi Garcia.

That didn’t stop his single finger salute against Chelsea taking place under the Spaniard’s watch and the striker still plays with an aggression.

He says he is the master of his emotions even if he has allowed the heat of the moment get the better of him on occasion.

“It’s a few incidents and I am a man at the end of the day,” he said. “If you press buttons and say certain things, nine times out of ten I’ll let it go. The one time I don’t, you’re going to get a reaction.”

“I got a lot of tweets over the Stoke stuff saying you should come out and apologise. I’m thinking I don’t come out and say ‘look how great I am’ when I score.

“You have got to get a balance. I spoke to Joe privately, that’s it, it was a second and a half of madness.”