Troy Deaney – Recruit Number 10
Category: Press Pack ArticleTroy Deeney is best known for his long and successful career as a professional footballer, notably as a striker for Watford FC, where he played from 2010 to 2021, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League. His leadership on the pitch earned him a reputation as one of the most formidable and aggressive footballers in English football. He later moved to Birmingham City in 2022, where he was appointed Club Captain, before briefly taking on a managerial role at Forest Green Rovers in 2023.
Throughout his career, Troy has been a vocal advocate for social issues, particularly racism in football. His outspoken support for the Black Lives Matter movement was pivotal during the 2020 Euros, where he encouraged players to continue taking the knee and publicly supported initiatives to combat racial injustice. As well as calling for change to the school curriculum, making the teaching of black, Asian and minority ethnic history and experiences to be made mandatory across the school curriculum.
Troy’s journey is not only defined by his footballing success but also by his personal struggles, resilience, and growth. From his challenging upbringing in one of Europe’s largest council estates, to his time in prison and eventual return to professional football, Troy’s story is one of redemption, personal transformation, and finding strength in adversity.
A father of four, Troy’s experiences off the pitch, including his strained relationship with his father and the grief of losing him to cancer, have shaped him into the man he is today. Despite his tough exterior, Troy has learned the importance of vulnerability, mental health, and the need to challenge societal expectations of masculinity.
Why did you say yes to joining Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins?
I had just come out of football and I was a little bit lost, if I'm being totally honest, mentally and physically, all over the place. It's always been a show I've watched and appreciated and thought, could I do that? How would I survive in these situations?
What were you hoping to get out of it?
I'm scared of everything! So that's the best part about it, conquering some fears. But also the general perception of me from a football point of view is strong, bullish, outgoing, when in actual fact, I'm scared of everything. So it was an ego check and for people to see a different side of me.
Did you do any preparation for the course?
No. I actually had an injury so for the four or five weeks leading up to it, I couldn't do anything. I had a level of fitness that I was okay with and then mostly it's a mental game and I knew when it came to it, that I'm wasn’t going to embarrass myself. I know Tony Bellew and Jermaine Pennant, who have done the show before, but I didn’t speak to them about it. I didn't want somebody else's experience to give me a preconception of what I could or should be walking into.
Who would you say you bonded with the most out of the others recruits?
Conor and I have become really good mates from the show, we speak almost every other week. There was just a connection there from the very start. The thing is, I’m quite interested in people, I could sit and people watch all day, every day. I think people are fascinating. It was great getting to know them all. Lucy was great company and Michaella, wow, her stories were scary. You’d never think she had been in a Peruvian jail. And I loved Bimini too, they are so tough. I wasn’t expecting that. It just shows you should never judge a book by its cover.
Did you learn anything from the DS?
Oh, absolutely. Walk with purpose. That's the big thing that they said. Everything you do, do with purpose. So they've cut my procrastination time down from about eight hours a day to four at the moment. So, yeah, just whatever you're doing, do it with intent and a purpose. But also set yourself goals. So today I need to do these three things, get them done and enjoy the rest of the day.
What did you find more challenging, the physical or mental side of the course?
Oh 100%, the mental side of the course is the hardest. One of the hardest challenges we did was writing our death letters home. I’ve never thought about dying before my wife and kids, facing that was horrific. Just thinking I wouldn’t be in a position to help them. That really hit a nerve.
How would you sum up the experience?
In a word. Cathartic. The whole experience is brilliantly mind boggling and I recommend it for every single person. But you've got to be in the right mental space to go there, for sure. Actually go in there with the mindset of, I wonder who I am and what am I capable of? If you go there ready to learn then it really is a life changing experience.