TROY DEENEY revealed people hoped his baby son would contract coronavirus.
Watford’s skipper was one of the top Premier League stars who voiced safety fears over Project Restart.
Deeney, 31, has been absent from training as the Hornets and other clubs returned to non-contact sessions last week.
And he said: “I saw some comments in regards to my son, people saying ‘I hope your son gets corona’.
“That’s the hard part for me. If you respond to that, people then go, ‘Ah, we’ve got him’ and they keep doing it.”
His concerns over potentially passing on Covid-19 to his five-month-old son, Clay, who has had breathing difficulties, came before team-mate Adrian Mariappa and two other club staff tested positive.
But Deeney found himself and his family targeted during Mental Health Awareness week.
‘HAMMERED & BATTERED’
He told CNN Sport: “It’s all about mental health and everyone says ‘speak up, speak out, please speak’…
“Danny Rose spoke out and I did and we just get absolutely hammered and battered for it.
“It’s not just us that gets it, the missus gets direct messages and you’ll be walking down the street and people will be like: ‘Oh, I’m at work, you go back to work’.”
Premier League clubs have voted unanimously for a return to contact training this week following Government approval.
And Deeney has been convinced to return after his fears were allayed by the Government’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan van Tam.
The striker added: “I’m the captain of a Premier League football team. I’m not doing my job if I’m sitting back at home.
“Anyone that knows me knows I’m never scared of a challenge.”
