Troy Deeney: Millwall is a proper football club – I loved the grief with the fans

Birmingham City striker Troy Deeney has described Millwall as a “proper football club” – and had no issue with being a focal point for the home supporters in Saturday’s match at The Den.

The experienced striker had halved the deficit early in the second half with a superb finish.

Murray Wallace and Tom Bradshaw had given the Lions a two-goal cushion. That was restored when George Evans’ curler hit the top corner.

Deeney – asked by the South London Press about attracting the attention of the Lions support – said: “I love coming back to proper football clubs and what I mean by that is the fans are fanatical. I love it. You’ve got here, you’ve got West Ham, Aston Villa, Newcastle – they are ones where the towns are based off football.

“They were giving me grief before the game and at half-time. When I scored I gave a little bit back. Then at the end it’s respectful, isn’t it? You clap them and that’s it, as long as no-one goes across that line, then it’s all good fun and it’s part and parcel of the game. It’s why we love it.

“I had about 15 fifteen-year-olds trying to shout at me at one point, that was interesting.”

But Deeney could take no pleasure from his own quality strike as Millwall took all the points.

“I’m going to be miserable now,” he said. “I’ll probably go home and kick the Christmas tree over – so the grinch is back in the building.

“The frustration is we let two goals in to start off, we got it back to 2-1 and we were on the front foot. But we never really kicked on with any dominance or composure. Then we let in another soft goal.

“Millwall will look back and say ‘they are three good goals’, we look at it from a defensive point a view and would say ‘they were soft ones’. Every one could’ve been avoided.

“I’m in this game to win and play well. I scored a nice goal but lost 3-1. I’m still going to be a miserable bastard when I get home.”