Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has revealed that he attempted to sign Watford's Troy Deeney, and has called the striker's partnership with Odion Ighalo as good as any in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has hit a goal tally in double figures in each of the last four seasons in the Championship and he helped his club to promotion with 21 league goals last campaign.

Although Deeney is yet to score in the Premier League, Pardew is wary of the threat that he and Ighalo pose his side and admitted that he made a move for the former during his time as Eagles boss.

"I am a big fan of Troy, I tried to sign him in the past," he told reporters.

"I made a move for him. Him and Odion Ighalo up front are as good as any pair at the moment so we need to be ready for that, and we need to find a way to score at Vicarage Road."

Palace travel to the Hornets in the Premier League this weekend with both sides level on nine points from their first six league games of the season in the top half of the table.