Watford ace Deeney slams PL return as son has breathing problems and says NHS staff should have testing priority

TROY DEENEY has slammed the proposed return of the Premier League as his son suffers from breathing problems while admitting NHS heroes should have testing priority... not footballers.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the Watford captain, 31, said there is "panic" and "fear" amongst players with simple questions not being answered regarding their return.

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Above all else, Deeney told hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, he is scared for his son who suffers from breathing difficulties.

Deeney said: "I think the concern is very much that phases two [full contact training] and three [playing matches] have not been clearly laid out.

"There's been a lot of, what I would class as very simple questions, that haven't been answered.

"For example, you can talk about the BAME situation...

"Government guidelines are saying that it's four times more likely for people of colour to get the illness and twice as likely to have lasting illnesses.

"But there's no extra screening, there's no additional checks being done on any players because it costs too much money.

"Simple things like that are where people are asking questions and it's not being answered.

"When people can't answer the questions, you start to panic and start to worry."

My son has breathing difficulties, so it's a tough one for me.

Troy Deeney

Deeney did go on to say that while he believes players are being protected as best they can be given the circumstances with stringent testing in place, he fears for his family.

The Watford ace added: "My son has breathing difficulties, so it's a tough one for me."

Deeney continued by saying there is a "moral" issue at play, too, regarding the potential return of Premier League football.

He claimed it seems unfair that "prima donna footballers" are given such access to testing while NHS heroes aren't.

The Hornets skipper added: "There's a bigger question to be had here morally as well.

"We see a lot about care workers and key workers not getting tested and people dying in nursing homes, and things of that nature.

"Yet we're expected to have just short of 3,500 tests per month as football players and PPE for all the staff.

"How long will be until that's the players' fault?

"Look at these prima donna footballers that are getting all this preferential treatment when there's people dying on the street."

Morgan agreed, too, replying: "It won't be the owners who get hammered for that, it'll be the players.

"They'll be told: 'You're being selfish, you're not essential workers. Why is everyone around these football matches getting PPE?'

"I totally agree with you."

Just last week, Deeney lashed out at Premier League chiefs over a return, insisting he’d rather go broke than put his family at risk.

Deeney said: “I am not even talking about football at the moment — I am talking about my family’s health and that is it.

“If I feel that I’m not looking after my family then I’m not going to do it. I am not going to put my family at risk.

“What are they going to do, take money off me? I’ve been broke before so it doesn’t bother me.

“They’re talking about not playing in front of fans until 2021.

“So if it’s not safe enough for fans to be inside a stadium why should it be safe for players to be in there?

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"The Government say we can go back to work from June 1 but we can’t get a haircut until mid-July.

“We’re doing all this testing to get footballers back to work and then the NHS, care workers and the people on the front line don’t have enough tests.

"How do you justify that?

“I feel like they want to get us back to work so they can take more tax off you. Premier League players pay nearly £4billion in tax a year.”