Stockport County fans must agree with what Troy Deeney has said about Kyle Wootton | OneFootball

Troy Deeney was full of praise for Stockport County star Kyle Wootton, who scored in the League One play-off semi-final win over Stevenage

Troy Deeney was left impressed as Stockport County cruised to the League One play-off final with a 3-0 aggregate win over Stevenage in their semi-final.

Dave Challinor's men defeated Alex Revell's side 1-0 in Hertfordshire on Saturday, thanks to Ben Osborn's 94th-minute winner, so they had the advantage heading into the second leg in Greater Manchester.

The Hatters subsequently beat Stevenage 2-0 at Edgeley Park on Wednesday, thanks to Louie Barry's goal and Kyle Wootton's acrobatic finish.

Stockport will now face either Bolton Wanderers or Bradford City in the League One play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 24 May.

Troy Deeney heaps praise on versatile Stockport County ace

Challinor's side have finished third in League One for the second consecutive season, and are one step away from winning promotion to the Championship, a feat they couldn't achieve last term.

Meanwhile, only golden boot winner Dom Ballard scored more goals in the third tier than Stockport striker Wootton this season, with the 29-year-old notching 19 goals in the regular campaign.

However, for the last eight games, Wootton has been utilised as a centre-back, demonstrating his incredible versatility.

Speaking live on CBS on Wednesday, former Watford striker Deeney heaped praise on the County star: "Got to give Wootton credit because, just the ego check.

"To be on 21 goals all competitions, to say to your team, 'no problem, put me at centre-back.' I don't know a striker that I've ever met that would do that.

"We're goalscorers, we're selfish. We want to do it about us; it's not about the team. We want to score the goal, we want to be the one who everyone's saying, 'we need that person to score.'

"But he's able to get the goals and be a centre-back. I just think it's a massive character tick for him. A trait of someone who's selfless, works for the team, wants the team to win.

"So fair play to him, but if you've got that in your team, everybody else has to fall into line."

Wootton has been one of the best strikers in League One this season, while he has also proven his worth in defence since usual centre-back Joseph Olowu suffered an injury in the 3-1 defeat to Luton Town in the EFL Trophy final.

The 29-year-old successfully combined both of his skill sets on Wednesday, as he helped the Hatters maintain a clean sheet against Stevenage, as well as getting himself on the scoresheet.

Kyle Wootton deserves promotion success with Stockport

Wootton has enjoyed a prolific season in terms of his attacking numbers, scoring 21 goals and registering four assists, helping Stockport reach the League One play-off final and the EFL Trophy final.

In recent weeks, though, the former Notts County man has shown his defensive capabilities, helping the Hatters maintain clean sheets against Wimbledon, Mansfield Town, and Stevenage while operating as a centre-back in recent weeks.

Stockport have been on an impressive rise in recent years, winning the National League title in 2022 before finishing top of League Two in 2024.

Challinor and all his squad will deserve all the plaudits that come their way if they win promotion to the Championship this season, but perhaps no one deserves that glory more than Wootton, who has rightly received high-profile praise from Deeney.