Book Review – Troy Deeney: Redemption: My Story
For me, a great autobiography gives a reader a really authentic, honest insight into the individual and helps them understand that person more. When the subject of the autobiography is particularly complex and nuanced and someone you haven’t necessarily been able to connect with or relate to before, yet you come away from the book with recognition and perspective, that’s all the more telling of a successful autobiography, and in that respect Troy Deeney’s Redemption excels. Deeney is one of those players that is perhaps largely misunderstood, divisive and dismissed for those without a Watford affiliation and, certainly, I would be guilty of being drawn into this narrative, so I was really intrigued to read this book and came away from it with genuine renewed understanding for Deeney.
Across his career, the Birmingham-born striker has developed, or perhaps rather been tagged with, a persona as something of a rogue, a bit of a pest on the pitch and potentially disruptive off it, but as with any antihero story, there is a backdrop to it all, and Deeney’s is more telling than most in helping readers understand the people, places and events that shaped him, not least a tough upbringing after his biological father abandoned him and his mother and a stepfather not without serious flaws entered his life. The circumstances of Deeney’s younger years are truly eye-opening and, I think, do a lot to unravel Deeney’s character and personality, his bravado, his resilience and his tenacity. He speaks without censor about the challenges and adversity of his upbringing but conversely also with love and appreciation and it’s clear that his early years were both troubling and seminal in shaping, and continuing to shape, him.
Indeed, a large proportion of the book is given over to his life pre-football and even when football becomes a greater part of his story, it almost feels secondary in many ways to everything else that has happened. Football autobiographies can sometimes get bogged down in the minutiae of training, matches, dressing-room tales, but having come from where he’s come from, having been through what he’s been through, Deeney’s story is as much as, if not more so, about the journey, rather than the destination. That’s not to say, football is not central to his life, his passion, but it is part of a much bigger and more significant narrative. In many ways, this only makes Deeney’s rise to the footballing heights all the more miraculous and impressive.
He is the first to admit that he wasn’t necessarily the fastest, most skilful, most talented of footballers, but what he lacked in these areas, he made up for in graft, determination and drive. His is very much a success story for the hard-working, the underdog, the strong-willed. There is obviously talent there too, though perhaps underappreciated, but Deeney’s is above all a journey that underpins the argument that hard work pays off, that good things don’t come easy, that you have to make your own luck. This commitment to hard work, to fight against the odds, to battle his way to the top are attributes that have come to define Deeney the footballer as a tenacious, tough, tireless competitor. Qualities that have perhaps often been used against him, especially by opposition fans, yet qualities nonetheless that should be valued, and qualities that clearly stem from a tough start.
Deeney may be a menace on the pitch, he may antagonise and rile up defenders and fans alike, but being on the pitch, working hard to get there, to prove himself, to improve himself, to rise up from the challenges of his birthplace, of his upbringing, is a success story that shouldn’t be underestimated. He has his flaws, don’t we all, but what is so impressive is that he hasn’t allowed them to hold him back. If anything, he has channelled them, made the most of his attributes and compensated through hard work and determination. He refused to be defined by disadvantage, he refused to take the easy route, and that takes incredible conviction and dedication. It is easy to see that Deeney’s story could have been a very different one, if not for football and if not for his dedication to the game, and whether you love him or loathe him, reading his story, knowing his journey, you can’t take away how far he’s come and how much work that’s taken.
Jade Craddock
(Publisher: Cassell. September 2021. Hardcover: 304 pages)
Buy the book here: Troy Deeney
Past: Southampton go into 2021/22 in their tenth straight campaign in the Premier League. When the league kicked off in 1992, the Saints enjoyed twelve seasons at the top, but their thirteenth proved unlucky as they were relegated in 20th place in 2005. Worse was yet to come as four seasons in the Championship ended in relegation to League One in 2009. But it was only a brief stay with Nigel Adkins steering the Saints back to the Championship in two seasons, with the help of Rickie Lambert’s goals, before a second consecutive promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League in 2011/12. As far as past players go, the Saints boast the likes of Gareth Bale, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk, but there’s only really one man who’s synonymous with the South Coast side – Matt Le Tissier. Le Tissier spent all of his career at Southampton, having joined the youth set-up in 1985, eventually bidding St Mary’s farewell seventeen years later. He holds the accolade of the first midfielder to score 100 Premier League goals and was included in the 1994/95 PFA Team of the Year. His wittily titled Taking Le Tiss was published in 2009.
Past: One of the Premier League mainstays, Tottenham’s lowest finish in the top flight came in 1993/94 when they ended up in fifteenth. The nineties and early 2000s saw them finish in and around mid-table, but by 2006 they had become regular top-half finishers and participants in Europe. Major trophies have largely eluded the North London side, with just the League Cup in 2008 to their name in recent times, although a Champions League final was on the cards in 2019, but they came unstuck in an all-English tie against Liverpool. New manager Nuno Espirito Santo, brought in this summer, has begun to ring the changes, but the football world’s eyes will be singularly on the future of Harry Kane. And he’s not the only iconic marksman that Spurs have had in the Premier League era, but, interestingly, neither Robbie Keane nor Jermain Defoe, to name but two, have published autobiographies yet, but with Defoe still banging in the goals for Rangers, there’s plenty of time for that. Similarly, perhaps Tottenham’s biggest ever superstar, or certainly their biggest ever money-earner, Gareth Bale hasn’t yet put pen to paper on his momentous career, but between Wales and Real Madrid, there’s still presumably lots to be written. In terms of those with autobiographies already published, both Luka Modric and Ledley King options are available, but there are few better reads out there across the entirety of the football book world than Peter Crouch’s How To Be A Footballer and I, Robot, both of which benefit from Crouch’s trademark humour. Better yet, a third book looks slated for release next year.
Past: In its 29 seasons, Watford have featured in the Premier League for seven campaigns. In 1992, they were playing in Division 1 and fell to Division 2 in 1996, before consecutive promotions in 1998 and 1999 saw them join the top flight for the first time. However, it was the briefest of stays with the Hornets immediately dropping back down. Several seasons in Division 1/Championship followed, before a return to the Premier League in 2006. But history was to repeat itself with the London outfit managing just the single campaign. Eight years in the Championship followed before Watford once again made it to the top, and this time their stay extended across five seasons before their relegation in 2020. However, the Hornets bounced back at the first time of asking, finishing second last season to begin anew in the Premier League this time out. Like many teams outside of the so-called big six, Watford players haven’t typically been the subject of autobiographies. However, one man central to Watford’s past has penned his life In His Own Words – the late Graham Taylor. Manager of the Hornets for ten years, he led Watford from the Fourth Division to the First in five years and three years later was England manager. He returned to Watford for a second spell in charge from 1996 to 2001.
Past: Despite starting the Premier League era outside of the top flight, West Ham soon rectified that with automatic promotion at the end of that first campaign in 1993. Ten years of top-flight football followed, which included a season in Europe. The Hammers have twice been relegated in subsequent years, first in 2003 and again in 2012, but their time out of the Premier League has been minimal, with them bouncing back quickly on both occasions. The new season is their tenth consecutive in the Premier League since their return to the top in 2012, with a sixth-placed finish last time out signalling a marked improvement on previous seasons. When it comes to former players, West Ham have boasted some big names, including Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick who have all gone on to pen autobiographies, whilst other Hammers graduates are still absent from the bookshelves. Whilst Tony Cottee’s affiliation with the club spans almost a decade, he spent just two years with the Hammers in the Premier League era and released his autobiography, centred on the club, in 2012. Paolo Di Canio may not have been at West Ham as long as Cottee but his legacy continues. Few can forget his goal against Wimbledon that is one of the iconic moments in the league’s history and earnt Di Canio BBC Goal of the Season and Hammer of the Year. Although he never represented Italy at senior level, Di Canio’s career saw him represent some of the biggest names in Serie A, where he won the league and UEFA cup. The Inside Story told in Paolo Di Canio: The Autobiography was published in 2001.
1 The Collected Works of Mike Calvin
6 
10 
When the 2011/12 FA Cup Fourth Round begins on Friday night there will be two fixtures taking place. The first of these will see Watford take on Spurs at Vicarage Road. These two sides have met on four previous occasions in the FA Cup and Spurs have triumphed in all of them. Interestingly, the first two ever games between these clubs took place in the FA Cup. In January 1922 in the Second Round, Tottenham triumphed 1-0 at White Hart Lane and in 1939 an emphatic 7-1 win for Spurs in the Third Round. The most famous of the FA Cup meetings came in the 1986/87 season when the teams met in a Semi-Final tie at Villa Park. Tottenham finished comfortable 4-1 winners with Steve Hodge bagging a brace to add to goals from Clive Allen and Paul Allen. Malcolm Allen scored The Hornets goal. The last meeting between these team came in the Third Round in 1999 at Spurs, with the home side convincing 5-2 winners.
The other game will see Fulham travel to Goodison Park to take on Everton. For Fulham fans of a certain age this fixture will bring back memories of the Fifth Round tie that took place back in February 1975. A game which pitched then Second Division Fulham against the First Division leaders. It was to be an epic game that was part of an incredible 11 game journey by the men from Craven Cottage that took them to the 1975 FA Cup Final against West Ham United. Coincidentally, as was the case with Watford v Tottenham, the first two occasions Everton and Fulham met was also in the FA Cup. Everton first hosted Fulham in January 1926 in the Third Round. After a draw at Goodison, Fulham won the replay 1-0. It was over twenty years before these two clashed again, and on this occasion it was a Fifth Round tie in London in 1948. The game went to a replay and Fulham emerged 1-0 winners. In February 1975 and again at the Fifth Round stage, Fulham travelled to the North West and came away with a 2-1 victory courtesy of two Viv Busby goals. The last meeting was in the Fourth Round in 2004. The game at Goodison looked to be slipping away from Everton as they were behind 1-0 to a Sean Davis goal. However, in the dying minutes Francis Jeffers scored to ensure a replay. As in the first game Everton went behind and again Jeffers equalised in the dying minutes. However, Steed Malbranque was the Fulham hero as he scored to sent The Cottagers through 2-1.
In terms of the FA Cup, this will be The Blades fourth tie this season and in the last round Sheffield United put an end to non-league Salisbury City’s adventure 3-1, whilst Birmingham put out Midlands rivals 1-0 in a replay at Molineux. These clubs have met previously in the FA Cup on three occasions and on each occasion Birmingham City have emerged as winners. The Blues won 2-1 in 1933/34, 3-1 after a replay in 1952/53, with the most recent tie in the 1983/84 season. In a Third Round tie at Bramall Lane, then Third Division Sheffield United held First Division Birmingham City to a 1-1 draw, before The Blues emerged 2-0 winners in the replay.
The Blades FA Cup run came to an emphatic end at the hands of Birmingham City today. To an extent the score-line doesn’t reflect the part United played in this game, although they did at times contribute to their own downfall today. The Blades opened the game very positively and dominated the opening fifteen minutes. Ched Evans, Lee Williamson and Stephen Quinn were causing problems for Birmingham and with over 18,000 in the ground their was a terrific atmosphere inside Bramall Lane. However, with their first corner of the game, Nathan Redmond was picked out and his shot flashed into the net to give The Blues a lead against the run of play. Birmingham suddenly looked a different side, who seemed first to every loose ball and eager for more goals. The Blades were now playing far deeper and allowed The Blues space in midfield. On a couple of occasions Redmond drove at the United defence, but shot wastefully wide. Chris Burke too was coming more into the game and getting dangerously down the flanks. On 38 minutes Burke was involved in getting wide again and his cross was efficiently swept past Simonsen by Adam Rooney to put City 2-0 up, as they cruised towards half-time.
