Most well-known for his time at Tottenham, Defoe played a part in Spurs’ last major trophy triumph in 2008, scoring in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup despite being loaned to Portsmouth a month before they beat Chelsea in the final.
After starting his senior career at West Ham, Defoe was snapped up by Spurs in 2004 and went on to score 143 goals in 363 games for the Lilywhites during three different spells.
He would also go on to have impressive stints at various other clubs, including Portsmouth, Sunderland and Rangers. He was instrumental in bringing major glory back to the latter, scoring 32 goals in 74 appearances as Rangers won their first Scottish Premier League title in 2021 after a barren 10-year period. It was also Defoe’s first league title, just a year before he hung up his boots.
But how different it could have been.
“When I was at West Ham, everyone said that Arsenal should sign me because they said I was the closest thing that they saw to Ian Wright… so it just made sense: ‘Go and get Jermain from West Ham,’” Defoe says in an exclusive interview with Flashscore, courtesy of bet365’s new Sub On Play On product.
Watch our full interview with Jermain Defoe
“But it just never happened when I was younger. I went to Spurs, and that was it!”
It was evident to see from his early days at West Ham that Defoe was a natural-born killer in front of goal. But how did he become like that?
“I think I was born with the (goalscoring) instinct,” he admits.
“I knew from a very young age that obviously I was born with the instinct, and I was always comfortable in front of goal. So then what I did was I just practised even more. Because even though you're born with the instinct, repetition is so important. So I just practised and practised as much as I could.
“I always just wanted to make sure that I didn’t need a lot of chances to score. So give me a chance, I'll finish. And that was my mentality from really young.
“But I do feel like, even with young players, that if you've got a young player, that misses chances, I do feel like they can improve. But then I do feel like a lot of goalscorers, natural goalscorers, I just feel like you're born with it.
“When I look at someone like Harry Kane, of course, Harry's journey was different to mine because he went out on loan to a lot of clubs and I met Harry in the youth team, but I look at a lot of natural goalscorers, who - at times - you watch them play, and they don't do anything else in the game, but they'd always score.
“I just think you're born with that instinct. And you watch players and you think, ‘How did you know the ball was going to drop there?’ Or ‘Why are you always in the right position?’”
Swedish striker Alexander Isak has had a remarkable season for Newcastle, scoring 19 league goals, including a period where he bagged in eight consecutive games.
In Isak, Defoe believes Newcastle have a player who possesses that special instinct, and the 25-year-old could prove to be a difference-maker should he make the move away this summer.
“Whoever gets him (Isak) in the summer, whether that’s Liverpool or Arsenal, speaking about making a difference and getting over the line, he’s the one,” Defoe says. It is apparent to see his admiration for the striker.
“And it isn’t just the goals. Against Arsenal (in Newcastle’s 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final second leg victory), the problems he is causing (William) Saliba and Gabriel (Magalhaes), you just don’t see that. Not even (Erling) Haaland does that.
“His movement. He doesn’t look strong, but he is strong. He knows how to use his body. When he gets chances, he is just ruthless. He is the one I’ve enjoyed watching and just thought, even years ago against the better defenders - the John Terrys, the Rio Ferdinands, the Jaap Stams - he would have given those defenders problems as well.
“Coming up against him, defenders know, this is going to be tough. This guy is serious. Give him half a chance, and he will punish you. Any mistake you are going to get punished.”
Meanwhile, other strikers like Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Arsenal’s Kai Havertz are lauded for their ability to offer things outside of goals, but their lack of finesse and quality in the goalscoring department has often seen their teams struggle in the most crucial moments.
Even Liverpool, who are on their way to becoming Premier League champions, have used winger Luis Diaz up front in many games this season.
But Defoe still believes the best strikers still need to be fine goalscorers more than anything else, and having a proper number nine can make all the difference.
“You're a number nine. You're judged on goals. Of course, you can do more than that. Wayne Rooney was a goalscorer - Man United’s highest goalscorer and was England’s highest goalscorer at one point before Harry (Kane) broke the record.
“But then he wasn't one of those centre forwards that was like a focal point. He would go into midfield, he would play wide right… when (Cristiano) Ronaldo played up front for United. But he still scored a lot of goals.
“So with (Erling) Haaland, he does deserve a lot of credit, because sometimes that's difficult. If you're not in a game and the chance falls to you and you have to have that concentration level, where you've not been in the game but then you still have to take the chance, it's not easy.
“So the fact that he does that, he deserves a lot of credit, because I see a lot of people say ‘He’s not in the game, he doesn’t do anything else.’ But the hardest thing to do is put the ball in the net.
And certainly, finding these types of strikers is far more difficult, with the game veering to a direction where goals are shared around the pitch, and what you do besides putting the ball in the back of the net is becoming more valuable. Perhaps that is why Isak could be so sought-after.
“There’s not many number nines now. There are forward players, but I’m talking goalscoring number nines. That number nine can make a difference, of course,” he states.
“Arsenal went through a period where they were scoring goals from set-pieces. But sometimes, when games are tight - because you’re going to get that now especially in the Premier League, and the way the game has gone very tactical - it is just that one moment in the game.
“The goal that (Mohamed) Salah scored against Everton, where in that game he was quiet, it was just that one moment where he made it look so easy, even though it was sort of an open goal. But you watch the goal back, you look at his first touch, how quick he gets his shot off.
“It's just moments in a game where he can just make the difference. You know, obviously they (Everton) scored at the end, but I just feel like when games are tight at the top level, and you've got that number nine, he can make the difference.”
The pool of strikers in the England national team has also shrunk at an alarming rate, summing up the fact that elite strikers have become a rare breed.
“The other day I watched ‘An Impossible Job’ (A documentary on former England manager Graham Taylor). I remember seeing - even EURO 96 - you had (Alan) Shearer and (Teddy) Sheringham who would start.
“Then you had Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole, Paul Merson, probably Matt Le Tissier.
“I just named seven top, top, centre forwards, who couldn’t get in the England team… that’s just English centre forwards. It’s just different now,” Defoe remarks.
Defoe had a long and very successful career and played with many world-class players during his time. But there are certainly two who stick out the most.
“Luka Modric and Steven Gerrard,” he says without a moment's hesitation.
“One Ballon d’Or winner and the other could have won a Ballon d’Or.
“You have just got to hear what (Zinedine) Zidane said about him (Gerrard). Zidane loves him and if Zidane is saying that about you then you must be special.”
But what about Jermain Defoe, the manager? After leaving his role as a Tottenham Hotspur youth coach last summer, he is certainly ready to take the next step and become a manager.
“Rooney was ready. (Frank) Lampard was ready. Gerrard was ready. Of course I’m ready. I’ve done the ‘apprenticeship’ if you like, did the two years in the academy. I just feel like, what more do I need to do?
“You do your coaching badges, you do your B Licence, A Licence, you do the pro licence, you coach the academies and that sort of stuff.
“There have been a lot of players who I have played with that have gone on to manage… but I’d like to think that now - not just now as I probably said it last year as well - having that experience, doing the courses and doing the two years in the academy at Tottenham, making mistakes, doing things behind the cameras, making sure you are ready, as well as playing at the top level for 22 years.
“I’m ready.”