Troy Deeney has praised the silent approach of Hornets owner Gino Pozzo and says it is thanks to the Italian he remains a Watford player.

Pozzo has rarely spoken since his family purchased the club from Laurence Bassini in 2012, granting an interview to the Watford Observer in the same year and releasing a brief statement following Billy McKinlay’s departure in October last year.

But owners of that ilk are in short supply nowadays with the likes of Nottingham Forest’s Fawaz Al-Hasawi and Peterborough United’s Darragh MacAnthony vocal presences on Twitter.

Queens Park Rangers’ Tony Fernandes is also omnipresent on the social networking website and has drawn criticism on numerous occasions for being too honest and emotional in the public domain.

It is an approach Deeney is not in favour of. And the Hornets skipper believes the Italian has struck the right balance.

“He’s given me four new contracts so he is a ledge,” joked Deeney prior to Saturday's game against Manchester United. “I prefer that he is silent, though, and I think that is the case for the players.

“He talks to us but it is never public. If you look at Tony Fernandes and other owners they come out and have been very colourful but then there has been a backlash from the fans.

“He (Pozzo) has grasped what this club is about and he’s just tried to enhance it.”

And Deeney says it is thanks to Pozzo he remains at Vicarage Road after having the chance to move on.

He said: “I came very close to leaving on more than one occasion but he (Pozzo) is a good guy and he made it that I didn’t have to have the conversation about leaving.

“It’s all ifs and buts. I don’t want to speak about that. I am with Watford and I am very happy here. I am the longest serving player, am captain and I feel I am getting better at the minute.”