Ex-Watford star Troy Deeney reveals Celtic offer as ‘least attractive option’ admission made

Troy Deeney has revealed he turned down the chance to join Celtic and Middlesbrough in the summer of 2021 after leaving Watford.

The striker played over 400 times for the Hornets and departed Vicarage Road after helping them seal a return to the Premier League. He spent 11 years at the club in total.

Ange Postecoglou arrived at Celtic Park in the summer of 2021, with a squad overhaul taking place which Deeney has revealed he could have been part of.

Celtic did recruit Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgios Giakouamakis to bolster their attacking line-up in Postecoglou’s first transfer window at the club. Alongside an offer from Celtic, Deeney was presented with the chance to join Boro and Birmingham City.

He chose the later, but admitted that was the ‘least attractive option’. His deal at the club is up at the end of the season and he admits he is considering his next move ahead of next season.

“There’s an offer there. But I’m just seeing how it looks,” he told Kammy & Ben’s Proper Football Podcast.

“It’s not about the money. Is there a coaching role there? They want me to do coaching but the project has to be right.

“When I parted ways at Watford, there were options to go to Celtic, Middlesbrough, abroad or Birmingham.

“Birmingham was the least attractive in terms of what it was. And it wasn’t everything that was sold at the start. But now I understand the dynamics of it.

“It’s going to be more about time than money. It’s a question of ‘do you want to invest more time?’ or do you go ‘thanks, but no thanks’ and move on to pastures new?”

Celtic are closing in on the SPFL title despite dropping points for the first time since January 2 following a 1-1 draw with Motherwell on Saturday as Rangers were beaten 2-0 by Aberdeen on Sunday.