Troy Deeney: Forest Green sign former Watford and Birmingham captain as player-coach
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Troy Deeney scored 11 goals in 58 appearances for Birmingham over two years before leaving the club earlier this summer
Forest Green Rovers have signed former Birmingham City and Watford captain Troy Deeney in a player-coach role.
The 35-year-old left St Andrew's at the end of last season after joining his hometown club in 2021.
The striker previously spent more than a decade with Watford and was part of the squads which won promotion to the Premier League in 2014-15 and 2020-21.
Deeney is good friends with new Forest Green head coach David Horseman, who previously worked in Watford's academy.
"You always get offers and things that are of interest, but the biggest thing for me is what the next 10 years look like, not the next 10 months," Deeney told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
"I've known David a long time and you can see what the project looks like, with the new training ground and what the new stadium will eventually look like. It is about buying into that.
"There is a lot of homework for me to catch up on from a coaching side, but I'm very, very excited about it."
Deeney, who holds a Uefa A coaching licence, was at the Bolt New Lawn on Tuesday evening to watch the League Two side's 2-1 defeat by west country rivals Swindon.
"On Tuesday nothing was agreed, so we just moved quickly," he said. "It is about feeling wanted and feeling that I can add value. There is no point in me coming in here at 35 and adding nothing."
Deeney began his career in the West Midlands with Halesowen and Walsall before moving to Watford in 2010. He made 419 appearances for the Hornets, scoring 140 goals, before signing for Birmingham two years ago.
He was offered a new deal there in March but spoke about wanting to move into coaching if it was the "right project".
The length of his contract with Rovers has not been disclosed.
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