Troy Deeney says his dad drove him around with a man locked in boot of car

Troy Deeney, the Birmingham City striker, has told the story of how his dad once picked him up after a game - with a drug dealer locked in the boot.

Deeney made the admission in a newspaper column, reflecting on incidents from earlier in his career.

He told the tale of when his adoptive father, Paul Anthony Burke, once picked him up after playing a game for Walsall - only for Deeney to discover there was an unexpected passenger onboard!

Writing in the Sun, Deeney said of the incident: "He had the music turned up loud and everything was cool and we chatted about the game.

Troy Deeney is now at Birmingham City

"Then we stopped to get ­petrol. The music went off and I heard this banging coming from behind.

"'Don't worry about that' he said.

"'Look' he said, 'there's someone in there but I'm going to drop him off in a bit.' He said 'he owes my pal some money so I've taken him on a little journey for the day.'

"I've fed him and that and he's fine. We'll drop him off later and I bet he pays'.

Troy Deeney was at Walsall when the incident happened

"There was me trying to make a career at Walsall and we are driving around with a bloke in the boot of the car.

"To him that was normal."

Deeney says his dad, who has since passed away, was a career criminal who spent time in and out of prison and who could be violent, but always took care of him.

The former Watford captain, who completed a fairytale move to his boyhood club Birmingham last month, added: "Despite everything, he was still my superhero. And he looked after me when I needed it."

Deeney will be hoping Lee Bowyer's side can get back to winning ways today following two straight Championship defeats.

They welcome Preston North End to St Andrew's at 3pm.

Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip