Quotes from Troy Deeney

Even now, as a footballer I've experienced many types of racism. Whether that's abuse on the field or from the crowd, it's never easy to deal with, but social media is now the biggest platform for these cowards to share and target their hate.

Whenever I play against Arsenal - and this is just a personal thing - I go up and think 'let me whack the first one, then we will see who wants it.'

The Sun is a massive paper and I understand the roles and responsibilities that go with that. I want to add something unique and give a different perspective, not only on sport but many areas.

We're trying to be real in a fake world. How does that work? You're always going to lose. I just be me.

When I talk about it, now people imagine I had an impoverished childhood, especially when I tell people we used to have to put coins in the side of the telly. But we were really happy. Mum never complained, there was always music playing in the house and we were always dancing around. It was a great childhood.

Whoever you are, it is nice to treat your parents to stuff.

My mum had me when she was just 18 and she worked three jobs, including bar tending, to put food on the table and she also went to night college. She worked really hard for us and I kept myself busy with football.

I grew up in pubs so my whole thing is 'the game happened,' people would go into the pub afterwards and discuss 'it should have been a penalty, he should have scored that.'

I'm from the era before the Internet, so I know what's real and what's not so you've just got to learn to roll with the punches.

I'm genuinely a big softie, I put this front on, and I'm just a laid-back fool really.

I would go on record saying that there is probably one gay or bi-person in every football team. They're there, they are 100 per cent there. I think people that are gay or from that community definitely are very worried about having to shoulder the responsibility of being the first. I think once the first comes out, there would be loads.

I always break it down I am three different people. I'm Troy Deeney the footballer, I'm daddy who the kids get to see and I'm Troy which a few of my mates get to see.

Just because footballers earn a lot of money, it doesn't mean we're not human.

None of my friends are big posters - we're old school. We text, phone and meet up and have a beer or have a curry.

The hardest thing for anyone is to admit you have a problem and then to act on it.

People always say to me, 'It must be so much pressure and so difficult playing out there in front of 60,000 people.' I always say, 'No, not really.' Playing football and earning great money isn't difficult. Working three jobs and raising kids alone, which is what my Mum did. That's difficult.

Things happen in football and you have to be man enough that things come and go.

Back in the day you used to have a fight. You win, you lose, you get up and go home, dust yourself down. Social media made it so that if you lose a fight it is on camera, you are embarrassed and you are forced to react.

I'm a big boy with big shoulders and I've had some real world issues so getting some stick online doesn't bother me.

I don't want to sound too critical, but a lot of fans at some grounds I go to have got cameras in their hands, taking pictures of anything rather than generating any atmosphere during the game.

During therapy I have realised that my work ethic comes from my mum, Emma. She used to work two or three jobs at a time to keep food on the table in our council flat in Birmingham. She taught me to stay disciplined, to go to Sunday school, all those things.

My life has thrown up many challenges, good and bad, and nine times out of 10 I come through them.

When I got to jail, it was a blessing in disguise because it made me reevaluate and check who I am as a person.

Everyone's got bills, everyone's got heartache, and everyone's got problems.