Watford captain Troy Deeney has spoken about his decision to turn down the chance to play for Jamaica on more than one occasion.

A number of Deeney’s team-mates are currently away on international duty, something the Hornets’ number nine has never done himself.

However, while speaking to the Poet and Vuj podcast, he admitted he simply was not interested in representing the Caribbean nation, despite being presented with the opportunity, because he had never been there himself and said if he did ever decide to play for them, it would not be for financial reasons.

“I turned down Jamaica because I’ve never been there,” he said.

“I’ve got family that live there but it’s never interested me. Why would I go there and play football and represent a country I’ve never been to?

“I thought about going there and doing it and if I did do it, every bit of money I got from it I would then put back into Jamaica.

“I wouldn’t actually take any money because you’re stealing from the land essentially. My nan and that live there, my uncles go out there all the time, but me personally, I have no interest to go there.”

Deeney also touched on his move to Watford almost ten years ago and his frequent drinking as a younger player.

He claims that he was not prepared for the move to the Hornets when it happened and that he would often drink to not have to think about his problems.

The skipper claims that now he gets the same release from playing football.

“Going to Watford at the time was probably the worst thing for me because I just wasn’t ready for it and being exposed to money was just a whole new different thing to me.

“I was just a d*******, that’s probably the best way to describe it, I didn’t know how to handle it.

“I got sold to Watford for half a million and I thought ‘this’ll do for a year’. I was more interested in the signing on fee. It wasn’t big, but where I was from it was huge.

“This is how stupid I was, I thought we’re going to have a sick night out with that, me and my boys and I’ll get a Gucci belt, I’ll get this, I’ll get that. I spent it all in a week.

“Now I can step on the pitch and just forget everything. I don’t have any problems, any issues, I’m just Troy in those 90 minutes. That’s what drink used to do for me. I used to drink to the point where I didn’t think about anything.”

Looking ahead to the future Deeney said he is planning on doing more work with his charity the Troy Deeney Foundation and hopes to work on projects that will thrive beyond his input.

Following a trip to Antigua in which the skipper helped at a school, he said he wants to “have an understanding” with people.

“I’m revamping it at the moment,” Deeney said about his foundation.

“We did a school in Watford for kids with autism. I’ve always had autism on my boots for the last three years now.

“We built a playground with soft play astroturf that they can learn on it as well, we did all of that three years ago now. That will last 28 years before it needs redoing. I’m doing stuff that’s going to outlast me. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m going to revamp it this year and go hard at it again next year because it takes a lot of time.

“When I went to Antigua, I went to a school we’ve been helping out with and putting water in there. I don’t put that out there though, I’m just going there to have an understanding.”