WATFORD captain Troy Deeney has confirmed his return to first-team training… thanks in no small part to his “missus”.
The 31-year-old has voiced his concerns over the safety of getting Premier League football back underway, particularly given the extra health risks for BAME people.
His young son also suffers from breathing difficulties, which has made Deeney reluctant to return to Watford training.
He has been among six Hornets players to have missed training over the past week – including Adrian Mariappa – who tested positive for Covid-19.
Speaking to CNN, however, Deeney has revealed that he is willing to get back amongst it.
He said: “I only said that I wasn’t going back for the first week.
“People took that as I’ll never go back. But I think everyone appreciates everything that the Premier League is trying to do as well.
“I don’t think it’s a case of pure neglect in terms of ‘We’re going back to work, get on board’ or it’s anything like that. They have very good lines of communication and I’ve had maybe had four or five meetings now.
“I’m the captain of a Premier League football team. I’m not doing my job if I’m sitting back at home, saying to the players: ‘You win this game for me and I’m not doing anything.’
“Anyone that knows me knows I’m never scared of a challenge. But anyone that knows me also knows that family is the most important thing for me.
“I also think ultimately, everyone knows that this is happening, the season is gonna finish and you control the controllables really.
“To be fair, if it weren’t for my missus, I probably wouldn’t. But she’s adamant that we can do enough things to protect ourselves.
“We are trying to figure out like, ways to wash the clothes separately and little things like that. You know, I’ve got quite a busy household.
“Also Watford have been excellent with me as well. They are trying their best to do anything to support me and my family. I haven’t been to work as yet. But I’m potentially going to go in next week. Even if it’s just to have a conversation.
“I’ve already been in dialogue with all the players and all the management.”
Nigel Pearson’s side will return to a desperate battle against the drop, should the Premier League return as planned next month.
The Hornets improved a great deal under the former Leicester boss’ stewardship, but have still only won six of their 29 league matches this season.
One of these triumphs, however, came in the form of a stunning 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Vicarage Road just before the suspension – shattering the Reds’ unbeaten hopes and sending a clear message to their relegation rivals.
