Troy Deeney: I tried to 'smash' John Terry, but he was a Rolls Royce and taught me an instant lesson
Watford legend Troy Deeney came up against some of the greatest defenders in Premier League history.
And with 47 goals in 165 Premier League On the surface, Deeney was a threat in his own right.
The former striker was a physical powerhouse, able to out-power and intimidate opponents, but some were simply too good.
And one of them was Chelsea Legend John Terry.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com, Deeney recalls a trip to Stamford Bridge after Watford were promoted to the Premier League in 2015.
The 36-year-old came up against an ageing Terry and managed to score from the penalty spot in a 2-2 draw.
But while the Hornets picked up a valuable point against the reigning English champions, who were in complete disarray that season, Deeney left west London with a lasting impression of the iconic Chelsea captain.
“The best organiser was John Terry,” Deeney said.
“I remember playing against Chelsea when we first came into the Premier League. We played against them in the FA Cup, but when we first came into the Premier League and we were in the tunnel, we were a relatively tall team and we were a physical team.
“I was feeling big and strong, and I remember Terry coming out, they had Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Petr Cech, Diego Costa, Oscar, and you just go: 'Oh, wow.'
“That tunnel at Stamford Bridge is also very narrow, so I feel comfortable. I think: 'Yeah, I'm going to smash it today. It's my chance to catch John Terry.'”
“And then I think, 'Oh no, that's not going to happen.' That's just not going to happen.”
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“He was very good. The way he organised he didn't let anyone move and he was basically a Rolls Royce. He ran everything.”
Deeney stopped short of naming Terry as his toughest opponent, instead placing him alongside two Premier League legends who boasted different abilities.
The Watford icon hated playing against… Liverpool Defender Virgil van Dijk, listing her hair and her smell as two of many incredible attributes.
But one centre-back has outdone Terry and Van Dijk when it comes to physical battles.
“It depends on how you want to quantify it,” Deeney said when reflecting on the best defenders he faced.
“Kompany was the most physical so I used to enjoy that battle, but obviously we were playing Manchester City so I was punished most weeks.
“Van Dijk was the best in terms of… he did everything.”
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In addition to strength, leadership and overall skill, Deeney reserved a special mention for the fastest player he faced: Kyle Walker.
The former center forward knew that running through the corridors was useless against the Manchester City right back.
“Kyle Walker was also a disgrace, he was very fast,” Deeney said.
“I had an acceptable pace. Acceptable at best. With that pace, there is no point in running.
“You think, 'Oh, he's got it. ' And then you go back in, leave him and try to attack in a different way.
“We made game plans to attack the other side, even though our best side was our left side, we worked on our weaker side, just to keep him away from us.
“He is so good.”
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