Former Watford striker Troy Deeney is set to feature as a wildcard player at next month’s UK Open Pool Championship.

Speaking of his participation at the World Nineball Tour event in Telford from May 7-12, Deeney said he wanted to help “push the sport forward”.

“The aim is to go there and not embarrass myself to be honest,” the former Premier League player said.

Deeney, who played at Birmingham City before joining Forest Green as a player-coach in August 2023, told Sky Sports: “I just like pushing the boundaries a little bit, and seeing how it goes.

“You can’t just put a few months’ worth of genuine training into it and a lot of years of odd playing – sometimes with a beer in hand as well – and expect to beat these guys.

“But I know as soon as I’m involved in anything, my competitive edge will come flowing through. I’ll give it a good go.”

Birmingham-born Deeney, who joined Watford from Walsall in August 2010, scored 140 goals in 419 games for the Hornets.

He helped them gain promotion to the Premier League in both 2015 and 2021.

His time at Forest Green, his first managerial job, was cut short after he publicly criticised his own team following a defeat.