I owe Walsall admits Troy Deeney

Troy Deeney admits he owes Walsall everything after completing his fairytale rise to the Championship.

The former bricklayer is set for his full Watford debut at Aldershot in the Carling Cup tonight while his former team-mates take on Tranmere.

Deeney made a £650,000 switch to Vicarage Road on Friday after 27 goals in four years with the Saddlers and sealed the move in time to make his debut as a second-half substitute in the Hornets' 3-2 win at Norwich on Friday.

And, after playing infront of 26,000, the 22-year-old believes it wouldn't have been possible without Walsall, who signed him from non league Chelmsley in 2006.

He said: "I owe them a lot, it goes without saying. I was nobody before Walsall found me. I'm grateful for the opportunity they gave me and I felt I repaid them.

"When I was there on Saturday the fans still appreciated me so that was nice, it showed they thought a lot of me.

"I played every game last season, more or less, and I felt I served my time, this opportunity has come up and I'm ready to take it.

"I'll try and get back there as much as I can and I've got a lot of good memories but Watford is my home now."

Deeney watched Walsall's 2-1 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday, just hours after his Watford debut, highlighting his affection for the club.

And the former Saddlers star insisted he will always support the club and called on chairman Jeff Bonser to reinvest his transfer free into the team.

He said: "Simeon Jackson went to Norwich from Gillingham for £200,000 so I think that shows how much Walsall got for me.

"As long as the chairman gives the gaffer some money to spend I have no doubt Walsall will do well.

"I'd like to think the chairman will back him, because I want the club to succeed."

But Deeney admits the Saddlers need to replace him with a target man, after Darren Byfield and Alex Nicholls struggled to make an impact against the Dons.

He said: "From what I saw on Saturday, apart from the final third, they were OK.

"MK Dons didn't really cause them problems and, if they had a bigger man to win the headers, because that's not really Daz's or Nics' strength, they would have done alright."