Neil Warnock tried to buy Blues star Troy Deeney [Birmingham Mail]

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Neil Warnock once tried to buy Troy Deeney and this is what happened

Birmingham City travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday where they will face a manager looking to equal Dario Gradi's record

www.birminghammail.co.uk

What happened when Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock tried to buy Birmingham City star Troy Deeney​

Birmingham City travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday where they will face a manager looking to equal Dario Gradi's record

Two of the biggest names - and personalities - in the Championship come up against each other on Saturday as Birmingham City visit Middlesbrough.

Blues travel to The Riverside in the hope Troy Deeney will turn in another inspirational performance following last weekend’s lead role in the 2-1 victory over Swansea.

Deeney not only captained Blues to the win, he scored for the first time from open play - a clinical finish that made light of the team’s difficulties in front of goal.

Boro meanwhile were administering the last rites on Mick McCarthy’s tenure at Cardiff City, with Neil Warnock’s men winning 2-0 to move into the congested play-offs.

Warnock looks to have worked his own unique brand of magic again and he heads into a record-equalling 1,601st game of his managerial career set to face a striker he was once desperate to sign.


Here’s the story of how Deeney and Warnock almost worked together.

Promotion​

Warnock had steered Cardiff to an unlikely promotion in the 2017/2018 season, when they finished runners-up to Wolves.

Despite having Gary Madine, Kenneth Zohore and Danny Ward in their squad the Bluebirds knew they needed a striker of top-flight quality and experience.

Zohore’s scoring record in the Championship told Warnock he needed another option. Deeney was on the transfer wish-list along with other names such as Danny Ings, who ended up at Southampton.

Birmingham City's Troy Deeney (Image: 2021 Getty Images)
The Sun claimed in July 2018 that Warnock had made Deeney a transfer priority.

Deeney’s reputation for troubling Premier League defences with his physicality, and his leadership qualities, made him an attractive proposition. In many ways he seemed very easy fit as a ‘Warnock player’.

Why didn’t it happen? ​

Unfortunately for the Bluebirds, Watford’s asking price of £15million proved too steep for a player who was 30-years-old. It was claimed at the time his reported wages of £100,000 per week were also said to be an issue.

Cardiff may have been willing to splash £10million.

And although it appeared Deeney had dropped down the Hornets’ pecking order, boss Javi Gracia didn’t want to make too many adjustments to his squad and seemed reluctant to cut ties with his club captain.

What’s happened after? ​

Deeney stayed at Vicarage Road beat off the challenge from Andre Gray, whose sparkling pre-season form had threatened to demote him.

He scored nine in 32 Premier League games in 2018/2019 as Watford finished 11th - then their highest ever in the modern era.

Only Gerard Deulofeu scored more, while Gray bagged nine and Isaac Success only four.

Meanwhile Cardiff were relegated with joint top scorers Victor Camarasa and Bobby Reid managing only five apiece.

First subsequent meeting ​

Cardiff and Watford, Warnock and Deeney faced off in the Premier League in 2018/2019 and the Hornets won 3-2 at home and 5-1 away.

Deeney’s all-action performance in December 2018 told Cardiff all they needed to know.

While the Bluebirds floundered badly at Vicarage Road in one of their poorest displays of the campaign, Deeney ran riot.

In contrast, Cardiff couldn’t use their forward — a converted right-back in Callum Paterson — to any great effect.

With Gerard Deulofeu playing in the pocket behind him, the Walsall product used his physicality and hold-up play to bring the Spaniard and others into play.

That game, and others, persuaded Warnock to go out and spend big on a striker in January 2019. Emiliano Sala joined for £15m but tragically died without ever playing for the club.

And now ​

Deeney left Watford after 11 years - and looks to be up and running at his boyhood club. Warnock left Cardiff in 2019 and looked to have retired only to be tempted back into the game. He led Boro to tenth last season and has them knocking on the door again this term.

 

[Colin Warnek]

Deeneh.