Jermain Defoe
Former Tottenham striker and sixth-highest scorer in club history; Premier League century scorer and record substitute goalscorer.
Jermain Colin Defoe (born 7 October 1982) is an English football coach and former professional player. He was most recently the manager of National League club Woking. Defoe was a striker and began his career with Charlton Athletic, joining their youth team aged 14, before moving to West Ham United aged 16 and rising through the ranks. He made his first-team debut for West Ham in 2000 and, after a season-long loan spell at AFC Bournemouth during the 2000–01 season, established himself in the West Ham line-up. After West Ham's relegation in 2003, a move to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2004 soon followed, where Defoe played for four years before being sold to Portsmouth in January 2008. He spent one season at Fratton Park before returning to Tottenham in the January 2009 transfer window. He left for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2014, before returning to England in January 2015 to sign for Sunderland where he stayed until the club was relegated from the Premier League in 2017. Following a brief spell at AFC Bournemouth in 2017, Defoe joined Scottish side Rangers in 2018 on loan. The move was later made permanent. At his new club he was involved in winning the 2020–21 league title. This was the first and only league title in his career at the age of 38.
- Role
- Striker
- Affiliation
- Tottenham Hotspur (Player)
- First appears
- January 2014
- Status
- Retired from professional football
- Notable Record
- Spurs' all-time leading goalscorer (at time of retirement)
Lore & Background
Defoe was born in Beckton, east London, to a Dominican father and a mother of Saint Lucian descent. He attended St Joachim Primary School in Custom House, London and St Bonaventure's in Forest Gate, London. He grew up in Canning Town and played five-a-side football at Newham Leisure Centre. He joined the Sunday league team Senrab, then joined the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall, Shropshire, as a 14-year-old in 1997. While there, he attended Idsall School. Defoe debuted for the England national team in 2004 after representing England at youth level, earning 57 senior caps and scoring 20 goals, including three appearances and a goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In Their Own Story
The roar of White Hart Lane was deafening as Jermain Defoe tracked back into the box. It wasn't about flash or flair; it was pure instinct. The ball bounced off an outstretched defender's boot, looping high and dangerous. Defoe didn't hesitate. He met it with a delicate first-time volley that sliced through the air, finding the top corner before the goalkeeper could even twitch. Silence fell for a split second, then erupted into chaos. Another record broken, another moment of magic etched in the history books.
Reader's Guide
Defoe is the tenth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 162 goals as well as the sixth-highest goalscorer in Tottenham's history. He holds the Premier League record for the most goals scored as a substitute, with 24. On 19 November 2016, Defoe scored his 150th Premier League goal, becoming the joint tenth-highest goal scorer in Premier League history. In April 2011, Defoe became the 20th player to score a century of Premier League goals.
Did You Know?
- Defoe scored in ten consecutive matches while on loan at AFC Bournemouth, equalling John Aldridge's and Clarrie Jordan's post-war record.
- He scored his 50th goal for Tottenham in a 2–1 win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day in December 2006.
- Defoe scored his 150th Premier League goal on 19 November 2016.
- He won the 2020–21 Scottish league title with Rangers, his first and only league title at age 38.
More in Club History
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