[1] With over 795 goals in official matches scored during his career, the bulk of which came during World War II, Deák is the seventh top goalscorer of all time.

Deák, who also worked in his family's bakery, began his career as a goalkeeper at the age of thirteen, but his parents banned him from football when a shot hit him in the head and he lost consciousness.

[1] Deák continued his footballing career now as a striker, and he got off to a very good start as he scored six goals in his senior debut in 1940 in his place of residence, Pestszentlőrinc, playing for one of the local teams, Szentlőrinci AC, in the third division, and he was pivotal in helping the club to reach the top-flight in 1944.

In this league season, the attackers of the team celebrated the half-century anniversary of the club's formation (Ferencváros was founded in 1899) with 140 goals in just 30 matches, of which Deák himself contributed with 59 hits.

[1] Deák got the nickname "Bamba" from the fans because, as he later recalled in a report, “I was named that way even in Lőrinc, because, as is my good habit, I am always in the middle of the pitch, at the halfway line, apparently having nothing to do there, but when the ball cames, I bamboo, I always move quickly and unexpectedly and I would often go on to score, and this is the most beautiful way to play football!

[citation needed] He scored 3 hat-tricks for Hungary, including a poker against Bulgaria in the 1947 Balkan Cup, where the Hungarian team beat the Bulgarians 9-0.