Troy Deeney claims goal against Leicester is more famous than David Beckham’s free-kick, Man United’s hat-trick and only tied with Sergio Aguero

Troy Deeney has claimed his goal in the play-off semi-final against Leicester City is among the most memorable football moments ever.

It is 11 years since the Watford hero’s famous strike in 2013, which is undoubtedly one of the most iconic scenes in the history of the Championship.

The “cheat” songs like Anthony Knockaert pounced to win a penalty, cheered when he was denied by Manuel Almunia – twice – and then stunned silence and absolute ecstasy as Watford raced down the opposite end to score, with a topless Deeney sprinting in celebration.

It is a scene etched in the mind of every Watford fan who was there that day and an image that the Foxes faithful will never be able to completely erase.

And Deeney is clearly quite proud of it.

“I think it’s second only to Aguero’s goal in English football, personally,” he said on That Peter Crouch Podcast.

“You might think I’m arrogant and you can tell me to screw it, no problem, but there are other moments besides those two when you remember exactly where you were when you saw it (and) what were you doing?”

Then, speaking to YouTube channel Rising Ballers, he went on to say it was one of his most memorable goals. in football. Period.

Not only did he say it was on a par with Aguero’s Premier League title-winning strike for Man City, he also claimed it was more memorable than David Beckham’s iconic free-kick against Greece – which sent England into the Cup 2002 World Cup.

Deeney said on the podcast: “That was the best moment of my career and I’ve only started to appreciate it now that I’m done, because we lost in the final, I always thought it was a waste.”

Deeney’s goal saw Watford beat Leicester 3–2 in the play-off semi-finals, but the Hornets lost 1–0. Crystal Palace in the final at Wembley to miss out on promotion to the Premier League.

He continued: “But now I can go anywhere in the world – and you might think I’m lying, but I never lie – and someone will say, ‘I saw your goal against Leicester and I know where I was.’ .

“I might be biased but I think there are two moments in football where you remember where you were when they happened – I think it’s me and Aguero.

“There are great moments, like when Man United won the treble, you remember the goal and the game but you don’t remember where you were or how you felt.

“This is just my opinion. I think they are the two (his and Aguero’s goal). I don’t think anyone can tell me another time… and not just in the Premier League, anywhere.

“Like Beckham’s free-kick against Greece, it’s a good moment but you don’t remember, ‘I was in that boozer doing that.’

“But if I said to you, ‘Troy Deeney, that Watford goal against Leicester’, you’d say, ‘Bang, oh my God, that was crazy’, and you could tell me who the commentator was, how it happened and where you were. at the time – same with Aguero.

“It’s just two moments, I feel like as a commentator everyone is trying to get that moment now, everyone’s trying to do it for themselves, but I think it was so authentic and genuine, both that and the Aguero moment .

“You have to start appreciating because much better footballers than me have had incredible careers but never had a ‘moment’.

“I can honestly say I’ve been to some great places around the world, some places where they don’t have TVs, and they’ve said, ‘You play for that team in yellow.’

“It was said that this really is in the Maldives. One guy said: “You play for that team in yellow, the goal you scored, man, my God.”

“I was like, ‘Oh shit!

“I’ve been able to live it and appreciate it a bit more now that I’m older and my kids know it – I tell myself it’s been viewed almost 1 billion times on YouTube so it must be okay.”