Former footballer Troy Deeney hopes his wildcard entry into the UK Open Pool Championship can help “push the sport forward”.

Deeney played in the Premier League with Watford and later had a spell at boyhood club Birmingham before a brief stint in coaching at Sky Bet League Two club Forest Green, where he was sacked after just six matches in charge having taken over following the dismissal of David Horseman.

The 35-year-old is set to switch his focus to the pool table when the UK Open event starts in Telford on May 7.

Deeney hopes his participation can play a part in raising the sport’s profile.

“It’s something different, isn’t it? Something completely new,” Deeney told Sky Sports. “I just like pushing the boundaries a little bit, and seeing how it goes.

“I’ve always got fond respect for any athlete in any profession. To do what they do takes hours and years of practice and dedication, so why not try my hand at it when the opportunity has come around?”

Deeney, though, is not expecting to be an instant success.

Troy DeeneyTroy Deeney had a spell at Birmingham before joining Forest Green (Richard Sellers/PA)

“The aim is to go there and not embarrass myself to be honest, but also be humble enough and vulnerable enough to know these guys have been doing it for years,” he said.

“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 anyways. I’ll give it a good go.

“My end goal for this is to push the sport forward as much as I possibly can.”