As far as synonyms for Watford Football Club go you would be hard pressed to unearth a better one than Troy Deeney.

A veteran of 327 Hornets outings and scorer of 112 goals, some of which are the most memorable in Hornets history, Deeney has become a figurehead both on and off the pitch.

He has been there every step of the way in the club’s progression from Championship side to established Premier League outfit, becoming club captain in the process.

The road to such a strong relationship between player and club has not always been smooth and is one Deeney himself admits has been punctuated by personal indiscretions.

At 29, the striker is quick to stress he still has plenty to offer, but says the fact he and the club have matured side by side will only serve to add to the mark he leaves on Vicarage Road.

“Legacy is for other people to talk about when I have finished. My legacy at the club will be made bigger because everybody saw my mistakes and saw me grow alongside the club, it has always been a parallel,” Deeney said.

“When I came I think we finished 15th or 16th in the Championship and we had a lot of young players in the team like Dale Bennett and Piero Mingoia. You could argue they wouldn’t have been playing if we had a proper budget.

“To look at it now, we are 11th in the Premier League and I have been a huge part of that and contributed massively. That would be very good in most people’s books.”

Rumours have continued to circulate around Deeney’s future, with a move to West Bromwich Albion touted throughout January and last summer.

Deeney insists he has no intention to leave Vicarage Road and says he will continue to pen chapters in his Watford story for as long as he can.

He said: “I am still playing and have no intention of leaving any time soon, so we will keep going and see how big we can grow.

“When my time is right, as I have always said, I will shake hands with the owner with mutual respect.”

It’s fair to say the 2017/18 campaign is one which has had its ups and downs for Deeney, with on field misdemeanours and comments in the media often drowning out footballing matters.

The bustling centre-forward has still been decisive at key points and recent winning goals against West Brom and Everton saw Deeney come to the fore when most needed.

A bruising man of the match showing against Arsenal earlier in the campaign provided further evidence of Deeney’s enduring qualities.

The knives have been quick to sharpen, often with fair reason, when things haven’t gone as swimmingly, however.

As captain Deeney has grown accustomed to the peaks and troughs of leadership and says his passion for the club informs his every word.

“This is my club and that is why I am so outspoken about it when we lose. I am the face of the club, so when we lose it is Troy’s fault and when we win it is Troy’s fault,” he said.

“It is one of those things where you have to take the rough with the smooth and generally I take it quite well.

“I am just happy to be playing. I have the best job in the world and there is only so much I can get angry about.”

With Deeney’s targets for the future still firmly rooted in WD18 and Watford more than likely to stay up, the Hornets Premier League future looks to be a bright one.

Acquisitions of players in the mould of Nathaniel Chalobah, Richarlison and loan signing Gerard Deulofeu all provide signs of Watford’s intent to grow.

It is a far cry from the calibre of player Deeney first shared a changing room with at the Vic.

“We brought in Richarlison at the start of the season and everyone was saying ‘how have we got him’, we got Deulofeu,” he said.

“Those wingers we had when I first started to Deulofeu from Barcelona and it’s completely different ball parks and different people.

“It doesn’t matter where you are from as long as you are buying into the project and what we are trying to do.

“The club has been moving forward and what has been great, which people don’t really highlight, is how often we get these gems.”