Watford captain Troy Deeney has admitted to speaking with Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho during pre-season, with the striker having been linked with a summer move back to the Premier League.
The Hornets failed to win their battle against relegation to the Championship in the 2019-20 season, sparking widespread speculation as to where several first-team starts might end up ahead of the new campaign.
And Deeney, who is entering the twilight years of his career as a top professional, admits that there were talks with a multitude of sides before he ultimately made the decision to remain at Vicarage Road.
“I’m 32. A lot of clubs were looking for a different style of striker as a back-up,” Deeney explained to talkSPORT. “Obviously everyone wants to play a certain way but when you get into certain moments you need someone to hold it up or if you are losing a game, go long.
“There were a lot of talks. Some things materialised, some things didn’t. The ones that were getting closer, you start thinking are you ready to go back to the Premier League to be a bit-part player.
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“I’ve been at Watford 10 years and then you start weighing the options of calling it a day. When you get into that mould of being a super sub you can’t go back.”
Deeney gave little away with regards to how interested Spurs were in the summer, but did voice his admiration for the north London club, stating: “I saw Jose at the Watford vs Spurs game in pre-season. That’s all I will say.
“When you get to Spurs you know the difference between the lesser clubs and the big boys. It’s a different experience. I think we all watched the Amazon thing (All Or Nothing) - their training ground is ridiculous. Their stadium is ridiculous.
“You want to test yourself as well. I’m not going to go in there and say ‘I’m better than Harry Kane’. I know what I can do and what I can deliver and there’s not many people who can do what I can do.”
With Deeney now fully focused on Watford, however, the striker feels he has made the correct decision.
“When you have some of the offers I had... Sorry, I’m being a bit cryptic and I don’t want to put things out there around the media and I don’t want to kill myself. I’m trying to learn,” he said.
“You can rush to get back in the Premier League. Let’s say, for example, [I went to] West Ham and for whatever reason they get relegated. You’ve gone back for a seven-month period.
“Am I better off getting Watford re-promoted and staying with them? The redemption story kind of thing and finishing my career with Watford. They are the conversations you have with your family.”
