Jermain Defoe
Encyclopedia
Jermain Colin Defoe is an English
footballer who plays as a striker
for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur
, and the England national football team
.
Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic
, joining their youth team at age fourteen, before moving to West Ham United
aged sixteen, and rising through the ranks. He made his professional debut for West Ham in 2000, and after a season-long loan spell at Bournemouth
during the 2000–01 season, established himself in the West Ham lineup. A move to Tottenham
in 2004 soon followed, and Defoe also spent a year at Portsmouth
after he was deemed surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane
. He has since returned to Tottenham in the January 2009 transfer window. Defoe made his England debut in 2004 and as of September 2010, has made 46 appearances, scoring 15 goals.
n father, Defoe attended St Joachim Primary School in Custom House
and St Bonaventure's Catholic Comprehensive School
in Forest Gate
, London. He joined the Sunday league team Senrab
, well known in London for producing players such as Lee Bowyer
, John Terry
, Ashley Cole
and Ledley King
, and then joined the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall
, Shropshire
, as a 14-year-old in 1997. While he was there he attended Idsall School.
who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall
in 1997. Two years later, he took the controversial decision, aged 16, to turn professional with West Ham United
, following which Charlton were subsequently awarded a compensation package rising to £1.4 million depending on Premiership and international appearances. At West Ham, he was a member of the Under-19 team that won the Premier Academy League
title in 1999–00, scoring twice against Arsenal
in the play-off final, and went on to make his first-team debut in a League Cup game against Walsall
in September 2000, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win.
The following season, he joined Second Division
club Bournemouth
on a near season-long loan, where he scored in ten consecutive games, equalling John Aldridge
's post-war record. He scored 18 goals in 29 league appearances for Bournemouth. West Ham manager Harry Redknapp
tipped him for stardom, saying, "He's done great. I sent him out to Bournemouth to get some experience playing league football and he's coped marvellously. To score 10 goals in 10 games is a terrific achievement. He's a bright lad who's full of confidence. Nothing knocks him, he's a typical goal-scorer. If he misses, he'll be there the next time looking for a goal. He's a kid with a big future." Due to his goalscoring heroics, Defoe was one of the first players to appear on AFC Bournemouth's Wall of Fame which opened in September 2011. http://www.afcb.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10324~2460517,00.html
Defoe finished as the West Ham's top scorer in the 2001–02 season despite being used primarily as a substitute by manager Glenn Roeder
, scoring 14 goals in 39 league and cup appearances, including the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Manchester United
in December 2001, as West Ham finished seventh in the Premiership. He scored a further 11 goals in 42 league and cup appearances in the 2002–03 season but was unable to prevent West Ham from being relegated.
Less than 24 hours after the club had been relegated, Defoe made a written request for a transfer, saying "As much as I love West Ham United I feel that now is the right time for me to move on in my career. This is very much a career decision. I am very ambitious and hungry to achieve at the highest levels of the game for both club and country." The timing of his request however drew criticism from both fans and team-mates and was turned down by the club. He later apologised to supporters, saying "I mishandled that move and I can only apologise. I'm young and I've learned from it. I still played my hardest for West Ham and gave them 100% and want to thank the fans for their support."
Defoe began the 2003–04 season with West Ham but a refusal to sign a new contract and disciplinary problems, including three sending offs, which saw him play only 22 games out of a possible 34, led to West Ham accepting an offer from Tottenham Hotspur
for him in the January transfer window. Defoe had scored 41 goals in 105 league and cup appearances for West Ham.
joining West Ham. Manager David Pleat
said, "I can't think of a British striker at his age who has achieved as much in such a short space of time. His goal record for a 21-year-old is quite exceptional. I hope he will have a fine career at Tottenham." Defoe marked his arrival at Tottenham with a goal on his debut in the 4–3 home win over Portsmouth
in February 2004 and added a further six in the remainder of the 2003–04
season, scoring seven goals in 15 matches. He then scored 13 goals in 36 matches in the Premier League, including a hat-trick in a 5–1 win over Southampton
in December 2004, and nine goals in eight games in the FA Cup
and League Cup
, in the 2004–05
season. He also received the clubs player of the year award for the 2004 calendar year as voted by season ticket holders and Spurs members. Despite speculation linking him with other clubs, Defoe signed a new four-and-a-half year contract with Tottenham in April 2005. The following season was not as profitable for Defoe and Spurs manager Martin Jol
used Defoe in rotation with Robbie Keane
and Mido providing the competition for a starting position; Defoe started 23 times and came on as substitute 13 times, scoring nine goals.
Defoe made 49 league and cup appearances for Tottenham, scoring 18 goals, during the 2006–07
season as Tottenham competed in the UEFA Cup as well as the domestic competitions. He appeared to bite West Ham player Javier Mascherano on the shoulder during Tottenham's 1–0 win over West Ham in October 2006, sparking a melee between players of both sides. The FA declined to take action against Defoe as the referee, Steve Bennett
, had booked Defoe for the incident. He scored his 50th goal for Tottenham in the 2–1 win over Aston Villa
on Boxing Day in December 2006, in which he scored both goals, and scored in Tottenham's 2–0 win over Charlton in May 2007, which condemned his former club to relegation to the Championship
. Defoe later offered his sympathy for Charlton and expressed his wishes for them to bounce straight back to the Premiership the following season, in a post-match interview. During the summer of 2007, there was speculation about Defoe's future at Tottenham following the arrival of Darren Bent
for a fee of £16.5 million. Defoe however insisted that he would stay at Tottenham and fight for his place, saying "I'm really excited about the new season and the prospect of another campaign in Europe. We have made some good signings and are now stronger and better equipped to compete in all competitions."
On 20 September, Defoe came on as a substitute against Famagusta and scored twice, scoring his first goals of the season. He was then axed from the squad in the next league game against Bolton
on 23 September. On 25 November 2007 he missed a crucial penalty against former club West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground in the final minute of the game which would have won the game for Spurs. As a result, the game finished 1–1.
in January 2008 for £6 million. He scored the equalising goal on his debut, a 1–1 draw at home to Chelsea
. In March 2008, he was unable to play against Tottenham as the Premier League ruled that he was ineligible to do so as he was initially signed on loan in January 2008. In Portsmouth's game against Wigan Athletic
the following week, he scored twice and in doing so became the first ever Portsmouth player to score in his first five home games. Due to appearances in Tottenham's third and fourth round ties Defoe found himself cup-tied
for all the subsequent matches of Pompey's successful FA Cup 2007-08
campaign. This was particularly unfortunate as Defoe's transfer also resulted in him missing out on playing in Spurs' League Cup final
victory over Chelsea despite appearing in every match en route to the final. Defoe ended the 2007–08 season
with eight goals in twelve appearances for Portsmouth.
Defoe scored Portsmouth's first goal of the 2008–09 season on 30 August 2008 with the opener in a 3–0 win at Everton
and then scored their first home goals on 13 September, with a brace against Middlesbrough
. Five days later, he contributed a goal and an assist in Pompeys first ever major European match Portsmouth's 2–0 UEFA Cup first round win over Vitória Guimarães on 18 September.
revealed Jermain Defoe's intentions to leave the club in the near future. This came after joining the club only in the same transfer window of the previous year. It was reported that Defoe's former club Tottenham Hotspur made a formal approach for the striker but no agreement was reached; Spurs manager Harry Redknapp
described the clubs as "miles apart in their valuation of the player", suggesting that Portsmouth wanted "in excess of £20 million". After negotiations, Portsmouth accepted a bid from Tottenham thought to be around £15.75 million (including fees owed to Tottenham for the previous transfers of Younes Kaboul
and Pedro Mendes
and waiving a £4m sell-on clause that had also been negotiated during his transfer from Spurs to Portsmouth) on 6 January 2009. The player had agreed to a five-year deal at an estimated £60,000 a week. Defoe was confirmed as a Tottenham player by his new club on 9 January 2009. Defoe was presented at White Hart Lane
before the start of Spurs' League Cup clash against Burnley
, after Spurs fans made it clear they wanted the striker back at White Hart Lane.
He made his return debut on 11 January 2009 in a Premier League game against Wigan
, scoring his first goal against former club Portsmouth at White Hart Lane
on 18 January 2009. Tottenham went on to draw the match 1–1. He also scored his second goal in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg loss at Burnley, which helped Spurs book a place in the final via the away goals rule
. He scored 3 goals in his first 4 games before getting an injury which meant that for the second time under Harry Redknapp
's management at Portsmouth and Tottenham, Defoe would not go to Wembley and would miss out on a final. He returned for Spurs against Newcastle on 19 April in which Tottenham won the game 1–0. He scored his first goal since his return from injury in a 2–1 win against Manchester City and helped his team secure 8th place in the league.
had ended, the same kit number that he wore during his first spell with Tottenham Hotspur.
On 19 August 2009, Defoe scored the 3rd hat-trick
of his career in a 5–1 away victory over Hull City
in the second game of the 2009/10 season. Following the match, his manager Harry Redknapp stated his high opinion of Defoe, "with Ronaldo gone, he can push to be the (Premier League) top scorer". After a fine run of form which saw him score 7 goals for club and country, Defoe was named Barclays Player of the Month
for August 2009. On 12 September 2009, Defoe scored after 38 seconds with an overhead kick against 2008–09 Premier League champions Manchester United
in a match which ended in a 3–1 loss for Tottenham, taking his tally for the 2009–10 season to 5 goals in 5 games. On 23 September 2009, Defoe scored a header during Tottenham's 5–1 win over Preston
. Defoe scored a goal and was sent off during the match against his former club, Portsmouth
.
Defoe scored five goals at White Hart Lane
in a 9–1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic
on 22 November 2009. This included the second fastest hat-trick
in Premier League history, which was scored in seven minutes. In doing so, Defoe became only the third player to score five goals in one Premier League match after Alan Shearer
and Andrew Cole. Dimitar Berbatov
has subsequently managed to equal this feat. After the game, Harry Redknapp further asserted his belief that Defoe would go on to be the Premier League's top scorer in 2009–10,. Redknapp later said that Rooney is the best all round attacking player but Defoe is the best finisher in England and should be a regular for England. On 19 December 2009, he started alongside Peter Crouch
against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park
in a 2-0 victory but was replaced by Robbie Keane
on 67 minutes. On February 3, Defoe claimed his third hat-trick of the season in an FA Cup fourth round replay against Leeds United at Elland Road with Spurs winning 3–1. His rich vein of form continued on February 21, with another goal in the Premier League, against Wigan. His most recent goal was a penalty in their win against Chelsea, which was the second London club they beat in just 4 days, after a famous 2–1 win over Arsenal. This took his tally to 24 goals for the season. Defoe committed a significant number of handball offences during the season, being penalised for the offence on nineteen occasions some nine more than any other player.
, where he applied his hand to take the ball with him in the first place. He was injured in September on duty with the national team, being out for two and a half months, before making his comeback in Tottenham's victory against Arsenal
in the North London derby
. Defoe won a header, which started the attack in which Gareth Bale
scored to begin the comeback in which Spurs won 3–2. He then scored two goals in a Champions' League away match with Twente on 7 December.
On 26 December 2010, he received a straight red card, his first of the season and first since 17 October 2009, in a match at Aston Villa; his team leading at the time went on to secure the win despite playing over an hour of the match with ten men.
Defoe began Tottenham's F A Cup campaign with a crisply-taken brace of goals in the Third Round match at home to Charlton Athletic
on 9 January 2011, Spurs winning 3–0, but in the following round they were defeated at Fulham
.
In the Premier League, goals were proving harder to come by for Defoe: by the end of February 2011, he was still awaiting his first of the 2010-11 season. He finally got his first league goals of the season on 6 March 2011, against Wolves, getting the first two goals for Spurs in a 3-3 draw. He scored his third goal of the 2010-11 season with a longshot with his left foot against West Bromwich. This was a triple landmark for Defoe as it was his 100th Premier League goal as well as his 100th goal scored as a Tottenham player. In addition, it signified the 1000th goal scored for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League era.
at Old Trafford
and played the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 defeat, he also got booked. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 2–0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers
, scoring the second goal after exchanging passes with Niko Kranjcar
.
On 18 September 2011, he scored Spurs' second goal on a 4-0 home win against Liverpool. He came on as a substitute to score again in Tottenham's away game against Newcastle United. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. The season started quite frustrating for Defoe who find himself on the bench in the games against Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers
despite playing well, which according to Harry Redknapp
was down to the good form of both Emmanuel Adebayor
and Rafael van der Vaart
. He again came off the bench to score in the 3-1 win over Fulham
, scoring Spurs' third in the last minute of the game. After Rafael van der Vaart was injured he started against West Brom and scored the second goal in a 3-1 win.
team in a 1–0 defeat to Sweden
in March 2004, coming on as an early substitute for the injured Darius Vassell
. England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
singled out Defoe's display for praise in an otherwise poor performance by England, saying, "Jermain Defoe did very well – I liked what I saw. He showed that he can do very well even in international football and that he is technically very good. Jermain is quick and he knows where the goal is, so I liked him very much." He was not however selected for the England squad to take part in Euro 2004. He made his first start for England in a World Cup qualifying match against Poland
in September 2004, scoring in a 2–1 win. As he did six months earlier, Eriksson paid tribute to Defoe, saying, ""Jermain is a great talent. It couldn't have been much better for him. He did very well. He scored one goal and created other chances as well. He is a great player who will always score goals."
Despite appearing regularly for England in World Cup qualifying games and friendly matches, Defoe was not named in the provisional England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in Germany and named only on a five-man standby list. He joined the squad for training in Germany but returned to England when Wayne Rooney
was cleared to play after having suffered a foot injury in April. He confessed that he was baffled by his omission, saying, "I don't know why I'm not out there. I've been involved in every squad for the last two years and feel I've played a part in helping us to qualify. I have never felt fitter and sharper than I was in training and believe I could have scored goals in the tournament. It's a strange decision and everybody I speak to thinks so as well." Eriksson said after the tournament that he did not think that Defoe would have been a better option than 17 year old Theo Walcott
, who had been selected for the England squad, adding, "If I had thought so I would have picked him. I've seen him 15 or 20 times this season and I have to take the best players who I think will be good for us in the future." He made a further explanation a few months later, saying, "Jermain had a very bad season. I don't think he deserved to go to the World Cup. Taking Theo was the right decision."
Steve McClaren
, who took over as England manager after the World Cup, selected Defoe for England in his first match, a friendly against Greece in August 2006. Defoe continued to be selected and to appear for England in Euro 2008 qualifying games and friendly matches.
Defoe was initially omitted from Fabio Capello
's first squad with the new manager insisting he would only select players who were playing regular club football. One day after scoring on his Portsmouth debut Defoe was recalled to the England squad to replace the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor
.
Defoe took his international goals tally up to five in the Caribbean on 1 June 2008 when he scored twice against Trinidad and Tobago and in the process staking a claim for a more regular place in the international team.
Defoe scored his first competitive international goal of 2008 with the final goal in England's 5–1 win over Kazakhstan
on 11 October 2008 after coming on as a late sub for Wayne Rooney
. He also scored two goals in three minutes against Andorra
in a 2009 World Cup qualifier.
His 2009–10 season got off to the perfect start as he came from the bench to score both goals in the 2–2 draw against the Netherlands
at the Amsterdam Arena
on 12 August 2009 and was announced as man of the match.
On 23 June 2010, he scored the only goal in England's third group stage match against Slovenia
in the World Cup. This goal gave England the win they needed to progress into the Round of 16.
He then opened up the scoring for England's Euro 2012 qualifying campaign against Bulgaria
, volleying home from the 6 yard box after a cross from Ashley Cole
, whose initial effort was saved by the Bulgarian goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov. Defoe went on to score his first international hat-trick which was the first hat-trick at the new Wembley
. Defoe was called up to the England Squad to face Wales
on March 26, 2011. He was an unused substitute.
Remarkably, Defoe has not played for the full 90 minutes in any of his 45 international appearances. He has 28 appearances as a substitute, which is a record number for an England player, and has himself been substituted in all of his 17 starts.
Correct as of 30.11.2011
On 24 April 2009, his 26 year old half-brother, Jade 'Gavin' Defoe, known to many as the grime artist Escobar, died of head injuries following an assault in Leytonstone
, London.
Defoe has dated models Charlotte Mears, Danielle Lloyd
and Chantelle Houghton
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballer who plays as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, and the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, joining their youth team at age fourteen, before moving to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
aged sixteen, and rising through the ranks. He made his professional debut for West Ham in 2000, and after a season-long loan spell at Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
during the 2000–01 season, established himself in the West Ham lineup. A move to Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in 2004 soon followed, and Defoe also spent a year at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
after he was deemed surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
. He has since returned to Tottenham in the January 2009 transfer window. Defoe made his England debut in 2004 and as of September 2010, has made 46 appearances, scoring 15 goals.
Early life
Born in London, to a St. Lucian mother and DominicaDominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
n father, Defoe attended St Joachim Primary School in Custom House
Custom House, London
Custom House is an area in the London Borough of Newham in London, England.The area is named after the custom house of Royal Victoria Dock.The first Custom House in London was built in 1275 and was located near Billingsgate Market in the City of London....
and St Bonaventure's Catholic Comprehensive School
St Bonaventure's Catholic Comprehensive School
St. Bonaventure's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School, also known informally as St. Bon's, is located in Forest Gate, London Borough of Newham, United Kingdom. It is a voluntary-aided Catholic comprehensive secondary school for boys aged 11–18. The school has had Technology College status since...
in Forest Gate
Forest Gate
Forest Gate is a residential area in the London Borough of Newham, 7 miles northeast of Charing Cross. It is bordered by Manor Park to the east and and to the west lies Stratford town centre. The northern half of the busy Green Street runs through it.-History:...
, London. He joined the Sunday league team Senrab
Senrab F.C.
Senrab F.C. is a Sunday League football team, based at Wanstead Flats in the Forest Gate district of London, England.- Operation :Senrab operates fifteen teams for age groups ranging from 5 to 17 years old, and the club has produced a great number of players who have gone on to have successful...
, well known in London for producing players such as Lee Bowyer
Lee Bowyer
Lee David Bowyer is an English professional footballer born in Canning Town, London, who plays as a midfielder for Ipswich Town of the Football League Championship....
, John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
, Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
and Ledley King
Ledley King
Ledley Brenton King is an English footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. He is the longest serving player at the club and captained Spurs since 2005. He is currently contracted to Tottenham until 2012...
, and then joined the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall
Lilleshall
Lilleshall is a village in Shropshire, England.It lies between the towns of Telford and Newport, on the A518, in the Telford and Wrekin borough and the Wrekin constituency....
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, as a 14-year-old in 1997. While he was there he attended Idsall School.
West Ham United
Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located near Lilleshall in Shropshire, England. It was founded as an Augustinian Abbey in the 12th century, with its estate running to some...
in 1997. Two years later, he took the controversial decision, aged 16, to turn professional with West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, following which Charlton were subsequently awarded a compensation package rising to £1.4 million depending on Premiership and international appearances. At West Ham, he was a member of the Under-19 team that won the Premier Academy League
Premier Academy League
The Premier Academy League is the top level of youth football in England. It is contested between the Academy sides of The Premier League and some Football League clubs, including Welsh side Cardiff City...
title in 1999–00, scoring twice against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the play-off final, and went on to make his first-team debut in a League Cup game against Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
in September 2000, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win.
The following season, he joined Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
club Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
on a near season-long loan, where he scored in ten consecutive games, equalling John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
's post-war record. He scored 18 goals in 29 league appearances for Bournemouth. West Ham manager Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
tipped him for stardom, saying, "He's done great. I sent him out to Bournemouth to get some experience playing league football and he's coped marvellously. To score 10 goals in 10 games is a terrific achievement. He's a bright lad who's full of confidence. Nothing knocks him, he's a typical goal-scorer. If he misses, he'll be there the next time looking for a goal. He's a kid with a big future." Due to his goalscoring heroics, Defoe was one of the first players to appear on AFC Bournemouth's Wall of Fame which opened in September 2011. http://www.afcb.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10324~2460517,00.html
Defoe finished as the West Ham's top scorer in the 2001–02 season despite being used primarily as a substitute by manager Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
, scoring 14 goals in 39 league and cup appearances, including the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in December 2001, as West Ham finished seventh in the Premiership. He scored a further 11 goals in 42 league and cup appearances in the 2002–03 season but was unable to prevent West Ham from being relegated.
Less than 24 hours after the club had been relegated, Defoe made a written request for a transfer, saying "As much as I love West Ham United I feel that now is the right time for me to move on in my career. This is very much a career decision. I am very ambitious and hungry to achieve at the highest levels of the game for both club and country." The timing of his request however drew criticism from both fans and team-mates and was turned down by the club. He later apologised to supporters, saying "I mishandled that move and I can only apologise. I'm young and I've learned from it. I still played my hardest for West Ham and gave them 100% and want to thank the fans for their support."
Defoe began the 2003–04 season with West Ham but a refusal to sign a new contract and disciplinary problems, including three sending offs, which saw him play only 22 games out of a possible 34, led to West Ham accepting an offer from Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
for him in the January transfer window. Defoe had scored 41 goals in 105 league and cup appearances for West Ham.
Tottenham Hotspur
Defoe joined Tottenham in January 2004 for an initial fee of £6 million, rising to £7 million depending on "specific performance criteria", and with Bobby ZamoraBobby Zamora
Robert Lester "Bobby" Zamora is an English footballer who plays for Fulham and the England national football team. Zamora began his career at Football League club Bristol Rovers, but was soon signed by Brighton & Hove Albion, where he found first team success...
joining West Ham. Manager David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
said, "I can't think of a British striker at his age who has achieved as much in such a short space of time. His goal record for a 21-year-old is quite exceptional. I hope he will have a fine career at Tottenham." Defoe marked his arrival at Tottenham with a goal on his debut in the 4–3 home win over Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in February 2004 and added a further six in the remainder of the 2003–04
FA Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Premier League. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat – only the second ever team to do so and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
season, scoring seven goals in 15 matches. He then scored 13 goals in 36 matches in the Premier League, including a hat-trick in a 5–1 win over Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in December 2004, and nine goals in eight games in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, in the 2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
season. He also received the clubs player of the year award for the 2004 calendar year as voted by season ticket holders and Spurs members. Despite speculation linking him with other clubs, Defoe signed a new four-and-a-half year contract with Tottenham in April 2005. The following season was not as profitable for Defoe and Spurs manager Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
used Defoe in rotation with Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
and Mido providing the competition for a starting position; Defoe started 23 times and came on as substitute 13 times, scoring nine goals.
Defoe made 49 league and cup appearances for Tottenham, scoring 18 goals, during the 2006–07
FA Premier League 2006-07
The 2006–07 FA Premier League was the fifteenth season of the FA Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 19 August 2006 and concluded on 13 May 2007....
season as Tottenham competed in the UEFA Cup as well as the domestic competitions. He appeared to bite West Ham player Javier Mascherano on the shoulder during Tottenham's 1–0 win over West Ham in October 2006, sparking a melee between players of both sides. The FA declined to take action against Defoe as the referee, Steve Bennett
Steve Bennett (referee)
Stephen Graham Bennett is a former English football referee who operated in the Premier League, and previously for FIFA as an assistant referee and then referee.-Career:...
, had booked Defoe for the incident. He scored his 50th goal for Tottenham in the 2–1 win over Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
on Boxing Day in December 2006, in which he scored both goals, and scored in Tottenham's 2–0 win over Charlton in May 2007, which condemned his former club to relegation to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Defoe later offered his sympathy for Charlton and expressed his wishes for them to bounce straight back to the Premiership the following season, in a post-match interview. During the summer of 2007, there was speculation about Defoe's future at Tottenham following the arrival of Darren Bent
Darren Bent
Darren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
for a fee of £16.5 million. Defoe however insisted that he would stay at Tottenham and fight for his place, saying "I'm really excited about the new season and the prospect of another campaign in Europe. We have made some good signings and are now stronger and better equipped to compete in all competitions."
On 20 September, Defoe came on as a substitute against Famagusta and scored twice, scoring his first goals of the season. He was then axed from the squad in the next league game against Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 23 September. On 25 November 2007 he missed a crucial penalty against former club West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground in the final minute of the game which would have won the game for Spurs. As a result, the game finished 1–1.
Portsmouth
Defoe joined PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in January 2008 for £6 million. He scored the equalising goal on his debut, a 1–1 draw at home to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. In March 2008, he was unable to play against Tottenham as the Premier League ruled that he was ineligible to do so as he was initially signed on loan in January 2008. In Portsmouth's game against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
the following week, he scored twice and in doing so became the first ever Portsmouth player to score in his first five home games. Due to appearances in Tottenham's third and fourth round ties Defoe found himself cup-tied
Cup-tied
Cup-tied is an adjective, used primarily in association football, to describe a player who is ineligible to play in a knockout cup competition after transferring from another club during that competition.-Application:...
for all the subsequent matches of Pompey's successful FA Cup 2007-08
FA Cup 2007-08
The 2007–08 FA Cup was the 127th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. A record 731 clubs' entries were accepted for the competition....
campaign. This was particularly unfortunate as Defoe's transfer also resulted in him missing out on playing in Spurs' League Cup final
2008 Football League Cup Final
The 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
victory over Chelsea despite appearing in every match en route to the final. Defoe ended the 2007–08 season
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
with eight goals in twelve appearances for Portsmouth.
Defoe scored Portsmouth's first goal of the 2008–09 season on 30 August 2008 with the opener in a 3–0 win at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and then scored their first home goals on 13 September, with a brace against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. Five days later, he contributed a goal and an assist in Pompeys first ever major European match Portsmouth's 2–0 UEFA Cup first round win over Vitória Guimarães on 18 September.
2008–09 season
During January 2009, Portsmouth chairman Peter StorriePeter Storrie
Peter Storrie was a Director and the Chief Executive Officer of English Premier League team Portsmouth. He had formerly worked for West Ham United, Southend United and Notts County.-West Ham United:...
revealed Jermain Defoe's intentions to leave the club in the near future. This came after joining the club only in the same transfer window of the previous year. It was reported that Defoe's former club Tottenham Hotspur made a formal approach for the striker but no agreement was reached; Spurs manager Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
described the clubs as "miles apart in their valuation of the player", suggesting that Portsmouth wanted "in excess of £20 million". After negotiations, Portsmouth accepted a bid from Tottenham thought to be around £15.75 million (including fees owed to Tottenham for the previous transfers of Younes Kaboul
Younes Kaboul
Younès Kaboul is a French footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. He can also play at right back or in defensive midfield.-Auxerre:...
and Pedro Mendes
Pedro Mendes
Pedro Miguel da Silva Mendes is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Vitória Guimarães of the Portuguese first division .Starting his career with home town club Vitória de Guimarães, Mendes won a UEFA Champions League medal with FC Porto in 2004...
and waiving a £4m sell-on clause that had also been negotiated during his transfer from Spurs to Portsmouth) on 6 January 2009. The player had agreed to a five-year deal at an estimated £60,000 a week. Defoe was confirmed as a Tottenham player by his new club on 9 January 2009. Defoe was presented at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
before the start of Spurs' League Cup clash against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, after Spurs fans made it clear they wanted the striker back at White Hart Lane.
He made his return debut on 11 January 2009 in a Premier League game against Wigan
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
, scoring his first goal against former club Portsmouth at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
on 18 January 2009. Tottenham went on to draw the match 1–1. He also scored his second goal in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg loss at Burnley, which helped Spurs book a place in the final via the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
. He scored 3 goals in his first 4 games before getting an injury which meant that for the second time under Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
's management at Portsmouth and Tottenham, Defoe would not go to Wembley and would miss out on a final. He returned for Spurs against Newcastle on 19 April in which Tottenham won the game 1–0. He scored his first goal since his return from injury in a 2–1 win against Manchester City and helped his team secure 8th place in the league.
2009–10 season
Defoe received the number 18 shirt after the loan spell of former Manchester United player Fraizer CampbellFraizer Campbell
Fraizer Lee Campbell is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a striker. He previously played for Manchester United, Royal Antwerp, Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur....
had ended, the same kit number that he wore during his first spell with Tottenham Hotspur.
On 19 August 2009, Defoe scored the 3rd hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of his career in a 5–1 away victory over Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
in the second game of the 2009/10 season. Following the match, his manager Harry Redknapp stated his high opinion of Defoe, "with Ronaldo gone, he can push to be the (Premier League) top scorer". After a fine run of form which saw him score 7 goals for club and country, Defoe was named Barclays Player of the Month
Premier League Player of the Month
The Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
for August 2009. On 12 September 2009, Defoe scored after 38 seconds with an overhead kick against 2008–09 Premier League champions Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a match which ended in a 3–1 loss for Tottenham, taking his tally for the 2009–10 season to 5 goals in 5 games. On 23 September 2009, Defoe scored a header during Tottenham's 5–1 win over Preston
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
. Defoe scored a goal and was sent off during the match against his former club, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
.
Defoe scored five goals at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
in a 9–1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 22 November 2009. This included the second fastest hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in Premier League history, which was scored in seven minutes. In doing so, Defoe became only the third player to score five goals in one Premier League match after Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
and Andrew Cole. Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of...
has subsequently managed to equal this feat. After the game, Harry Redknapp further asserted his belief that Defoe would go on to be the Premier League's top scorer in 2009–10,. Redknapp later said that Rooney is the best all round attacking player but Defoe is the best finisher in England and should be a regular for England. On 19 December 2009, he started alongside Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
in a 2-0 victory but was replaced by Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
on 67 minutes. On February 3, Defoe claimed his third hat-trick of the season in an FA Cup fourth round replay against Leeds United at Elland Road with Spurs winning 3–1. His rich vein of form continued on February 21, with another goal in the Premier League, against Wigan. His most recent goal was a penalty in their win against Chelsea, which was the second London club they beat in just 4 days, after a famous 2–1 win over Arsenal. This took his tally to 24 goals for the season. Defoe committed a significant number of handball offences during the season, being penalised for the offence on nineteen occasions some nine more than any other player.
2010–11 season
Defoe played his part in Tottenham qualifying for the Champions League group stage, thanks to a controversial goal against Young BoysBSC Young Boys
Berner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB . Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black....
, where he applied his hand to take the ball with him in the first place. He was injured in September on duty with the national team, being out for two and a half months, before making his comeback in Tottenham's victory against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the North London derby
North London derby
The North London derby is the name of the football local derby between the two major teams in North London – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.-History:...
. Defoe won a header, which started the attack in which Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale
Gareth Frank Bale is a Welsh footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Wales national team. Bale began his professional career with Southampton in 2005 and was transferred to Tottenham two years later...
scored to begin the comeback in which Spurs won 3–2. He then scored two goals in a Champions' League away match with Twente on 7 December.
On 26 December 2010, he received a straight red card, his first of the season and first since 17 October 2009, in a match at Aston Villa; his team leading at the time went on to secure the win despite playing over an hour of the match with ten men.
Defoe began Tottenham's F A Cup campaign with a crisply-taken brace of goals in the Third Round match at home to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 9 January 2011, Spurs winning 3–0, but in the following round they were defeated at Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
.
In the Premier League, goals were proving harder to come by for Defoe: by the end of February 2011, he was still awaiting his first of the 2010-11 season. He finally got his first league goals of the season on 6 March 2011, against Wolves, getting the first two goals for Spurs in a 3-3 draw. He scored his third goal of the 2010-11 season with a longshot with his left foot against West Bromwich. This was a triple landmark for Defoe as it was his 100th Premier League goal as well as his 100th goal scored as a Tottenham player. In addition, it signified the 1000th goal scored for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League era.
2011–12 season
Defoe was in the starting line-up for Tottenham's opening Premier League game against Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
and played the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 defeat, he also got booked. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 2–0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, scoring the second goal after exchanging passes with Niko Kranjcar
Niko Kranjcar
Niko Kranjčar is a Croatian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Croatia national team.He represented two of the biggest clubs in his homeland, playing for Dinamo Zagreb before sparking controversy by making a move to their fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2005...
.
On 18 September 2011, he scored Spurs' second goal on a 4-0 home win against Liverpool. He came on as a substitute to score again in Tottenham's away game against Newcastle United. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. The season started quite frustrating for Defoe who find himself on the bench in the games against Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
despite playing well, which according to Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
was down to the good form of both Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...
and Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
. He again came off the bench to score in the 3-1 win over Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, scoring Spurs' third in the last minute of the game. After Rafael van der Vaart was injured he started against West Brom and scored the second goal in a 3-1 win.
International career
Defoe's form for Bournemouth in the 2000–01 season saw him selected for the England U21s team to play Mexico U21s in May 2001, and he marked his debut with the second goal as England U21s won 3–0. He went on to gain 23 caps for England U21s, scoring seven goals. Defoe made his debut for the senior EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team in a 1–0 defeat to Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in March 2004, coming on as an early substitute for the injured Darius Vassell
Darius Vassell
Darius Vassell is an English footballer who plays for Championship side Leicester City, having previously played for Aston Villa, Manchester City and Ankaragücü, as well as the England national team....
. England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
singled out Defoe's display for praise in an otherwise poor performance by England, saying, "Jermain Defoe did very well – I liked what I saw. He showed that he can do very well even in international football and that he is technically very good. Jermain is quick and he knows where the goal is, so I liked him very much." He was not however selected for the England squad to take part in Euro 2004. He made his first start for England in a World Cup qualifying match against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
in September 2004, scoring in a 2–1 win. As he did six months earlier, Eriksson paid tribute to Defoe, saying, ""Jermain is a great talent. It couldn't have been much better for him. He did very well. He scored one goal and created other chances as well. He is a great player who will always score goals."
Despite appearing regularly for England in World Cup qualifying games and friendly matches, Defoe was not named in the provisional England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany and named only on a five-man standby list. He joined the squad for training in Germany but returned to England when Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
was cleared to play after having suffered a foot injury in April. He confessed that he was baffled by his omission, saying, "I don't know why I'm not out there. I've been involved in every squad for the last two years and feel I've played a part in helping us to qualify. I have never felt fitter and sharper than I was in training and believe I could have scored goals in the tournament. It's a strange decision and everybody I speak to thinks so as well." Eriksson said after the tournament that he did not think that Defoe would have been a better option than 17 year old Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott
Theo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...
, who had been selected for the England squad, adding, "If I had thought so I would have picked him. I've seen him 15 or 20 times this season and I have to take the best players who I think will be good for us in the future." He made a further explanation a few months later, saying, "Jermain had a very bad season. I don't think he deserved to go to the World Cup. Taking Theo was the right decision."
Steve McClaren
Steve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
, who took over as England manager after the World Cup, selected Defoe for England in his first match, a friendly against Greece in August 2006. Defoe continued to be selected and to appear for England in Euro 2008 qualifying games and friendly matches.
Defoe was initially omitted from Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
's first squad with the new manager insisting he would only select players who were playing regular club football. One day after scoring on his Portsmouth debut Defoe was recalled to the England squad to replace the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Imuetinyan "Gabby" Agbonlahor is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Aston Villa. Agbonlahor is a product of Aston Villa's Academy and has earned three caps for the English national team. He is currently the longest-serving player at Villa Park, joining as a youth player in...
.
Defoe took his international goals tally up to five in the Caribbean on 1 June 2008 when he scored twice against Trinidad and Tobago and in the process staking a claim for a more regular place in the international team.
Defoe scored his first competitive international goal of 2008 with the final goal in England's 5–1 win over Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
on 11 October 2008 after coming on as a late sub for Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
. He also scored two goals in three minutes against Andorra
Andorra national football team
The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...
in a 2009 World Cup qualifier.
His 2009–10 season got off to the perfect start as he came from the bench to score both goals in the 2–2 draw against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
at the Amsterdam Arena
Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
on 12 August 2009 and was announced as man of the match.
On 23 June 2010, he scored the only goal in England's third group stage match against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
in the World Cup. This goal gave England the win they needed to progress into the Round of 16.
He then opened up the scoring for England's Euro 2012 qualifying campaign against Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
, volleying home from the 6 yard box after a cross from Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
, whose initial effort was saved by the Bulgarian goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov. Defoe went on to score his first international hat-trick which was the first hat-trick at the new Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
. Defoe was called up to the England Squad to face Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on March 26, 2011. He was an unused substitute.
Remarkably, Defoe has not played for the full 90 minutes in any of his 45 international appearances. He has 28 appearances as a substitute, which is a record number for an England player, and has himself been substituted in all of his 17 starts.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 September 2004 | Silesian Stadium, Chorzów Chorzów Chorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
2006 FIFA World Cup Qual. 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|||
| 2. | 2 September 2006 | Old Trafford, Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
UEFA Euro 2008 Qual. | |||
| 3. | ||||||
| 4. | 1 June 2008 | Hasely Crawford Stadium Hasely Crawford Stadium The Hasely Crawford Stadium, located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is named after Hasely Crawford, the first person from Trinidad and Tobago to win an Olympic gold medal. Originally built as the National Stadium in 1980, the stadium was re-named to honour Crawford in 2001. The stadium... , Port Of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... , Trinidad Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in... |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 5. | ||||||
| 6. | 11 October 2008 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2010 FIFA World Cup Qual. 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|||
| 7. | 10 June 2009 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
2010 FIFA World Cup Qual. 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|||
| 8. | ||||||
| 9. | 12 August 2009 | Amsterdam Arena Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 10. | ||||||
| 11. | 5 September 2009 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 12. | 23 June 2010 | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts... , Port Elizabeth, South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
2010 FIFA World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
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| 13. | 3 September 2010 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
UEFA Euro 2012 Qual. UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
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| 14. | ||||||
| 15. | ||||||
Individual
- Barclays Player of the MonthPremier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
(August 2009) - Tottenham Hotspur Football Club 'Moment Of The Year': 2009–10 (for his 5 goals vs Wigan Athletic.)
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cups | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Goals | Games | Goals | Games | Goals | Games | Goals | ||
| Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899.... |
00–01 | 29 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 19 |
| Club Total | 29 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 19 | |
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
00–01 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 01–02 | 35 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 14 | |
| 02–03 | 38 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 11 | |
| 03–04 | 19 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 15 | |
| Club Total | 93 | 29 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 41 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
03–04 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 7 |
| 04–05 | 35 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 22 | |
| 05–06 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 9 | |
| 06–07 | 34 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 49 | 18 | |
| 07–08 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 31 | 8 | |
| Club Total | 139 | 43 | 28 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 177 | 64 | |
| Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
07–08 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 8 |
| 08–09 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 9 | |
| Club Total | 31 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 36 | 17 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
08–09 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 |
| 09–10 | 34 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 24 | |
| 10–11 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 9 | |
| 11–12 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 7 | |
| Club Total | 74 | 30 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 99 | 44 | |
| Spurs Total | 213 | 73 | 42 | 24 | 21 | 11 | 276 | 108 | |
| Career Totals | 366 | 135 | 57 | 37 | 25 | 13 | 448 | 185 | |
Personal life
Defoe is a Christian.On 24 April 2009, his 26 year old half-brother, Jade 'Gavin' Defoe, known to many as the grime artist Escobar, died of head injuries following an assault in Leytonstone
Leytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
, London.
Defoe has dated models Charlotte Mears, Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd is an English glamour model. The former Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006, she first rose to prominence when she was stripped of her Miss Great Britain 2006 title after posing for nude pictures featured in the December 2006 edition of Playboy magazine and her alleged...
and Chantelle Houghton
Chantelle Houghton
Chantelle Vivien Houghton is an English glamour model and television personality. She was the first 'non-celebrity' to feature in the Channel 4 reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006....
External links
- Jermain Defoe Official Tottenham Hotspur profile.
- Jermain Defoe profile at thefa.com
- Jermaine Defoe profile and stats at footballdatabase.com
- Premier League profile of Jermaine Defoe