Troy Deeney urges Watford to pay tribute to Graham Taylor with win over Middlesbrough after club legend's death

Former Watford manager Taylor died of a heart attack on Thursday, with the club planning a number of tributes ahead of their Premier League clash with Middlesbrough

Graham Taylor died after suffering a heart attack, aged 72 (Getty)

Watford captain Troy Deeney has urged his team-mates to pay a fitting tribute to former Hornets manager Graham Taylor in Saturday's Premier League match against Middlesbrough.

The home players are expected to wear black armbands and take part in a minute's applause for Taylor, who died suddenly on Thursday at the age of 72.

Deeney said members of the current squad would be left in no doubt over Taylor's contribution to the club, whom he led into the old First Division and the FA Cup final in 1984.

Deeney told Watford's official website: "We've just got to make sure we do him proud.

"Hopefully his family will be at the game and hopefully we can show them how much we respected him.

"We will still have a word (with the squad) and let them know just how big this is for the town. Football is just a game and this is bigger than that."

Current boss Walter Mazzarri also called on his players to beat Middlesbrough for Taylor.

He said: "We have already many reasons why we need to win the game on Saturday.

"On top of this now we've got Graham Taylor which gives us an extra reason why we need to win the game against Middlesbrough."

Emotions will also run high as two of Taylor's former clubs, Wolves and Aston Villa, meet in the Sky Bet Championship at Molineux on Saturday.

Watford players and Taylor celebrate victory after promotion to the old First Division, May 1999 (Getty)

Villa boss Steve Bruce said: "I am, like everybody else, in total shock.

"I have two close members of my staff who played for him for a number of years in Tony Coton and Tommy Mooney. Of course there are people on the staff who worked with him for years.

"The one thing that shines out above anything is what a very, very good human being he was and a delight to work for.

"His record speaks for itself, not just here at Aston Villa but Wolves and what he did at Watford was quite remarkable. The tributes to him are only fitting.

"I'm sure there will be many more tributes, the football world is in a state of shock that we've lost someone like Graham so early because nobody expected it."

PA