Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe is frustrated about his bit-part role this season.

He is likely to be back on the bench when Sunderland visit White Hart Lane tomorrow.

Defoe said: "It's hard to explain the feeling when you're starting games, scoring, the team is winning and you're not playing in the next game. There's nothing more you can do as a footballer.

"If you're playing well and scoring and, the most important thing, the team is winning, and you are not being picked again, it's difficult. What else am I supposed to do?

"It's well documented that I've been in the team, scored goals and then been taken out of the team. For whatever reason, I don't know.

"It's important that when you get a chance, you take it like I have always done.

"Like I've done this season, I took my chance two games running by scoring goals. That's it. That's all I can do.

"It's out of my hands. What can I say? I can just do what I've got to do and make sure when I play, I play well. That's it really."