‘I’m an ex-Prem striker – I earned £50 per week as a builder earlier than soccer’

On May 21, 2024

Troy Deeney has spilled the beans on his tough pre-football life, revealing he was raking in a mere £50 a week before hitting the big time.

Chatting on That Peter Crouch Podcast, the ex-Watford hitman opened up about his early struggles and his stint in construction to earn some extra dosh. Deeney also shared that he wasn’t just kicked out of school at 15 but had been grafting since he was 11.

“I went to college, yeah I did everything, I was crap at it mind,” Deeney confessed. “I got kicked out of school at 15, but I’ve always been working from like 11 years old, and like when you say it now everyone’s a bit like ‘What? ‘but at 11 I used to be a glass collector I’d help out my mum cleaning at the bookies – whatever it was to help out at home.”

After getting the boot from school, the Brummie forward turned to the building trade, pocketing £50 while training. Deeney continued: “So I got kicked out of school and my mum said, ‘Are you ever going to get a job or go to college? ‘and my cousin who I loved at the time, and I still do love him by the way, but I properly idolised him, he was at building college so I just applied, got in, got £50 a week and a bus ticket, and I was a builder and that lasted three months.”

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Deeney enjoyed a fruitful spell in the Premier League
(Image: Getty Images)

The former Birmingham City marksman also opened up about his rocky road to football stardom, starting from humble beginnings at Chelmsley Town when he was just 16. The striker’s journey took a dramatic turn when he found himself jobless and cash-strapped after being laid off from his building gig, reports the Mirror.

Revealing all on the Crouch podcast, Deeney shared: “Three months on a building site, got sacked on the Friday as the job had ended and that was it. I got p****d on the Friday and went and played football on the Saturday. My mum kicked me out the house and I got scouted to play for Walsall on that Saturday.”