Tottenham Hotspur signed Jermain Defoe ahead of fierce rivals Arsenal 13 years ago.
Jermain Defoe during his time with Tottenham
Current Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe moved to Spurs from West Ham in 2004, for a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million, but the England international explained how he wanted to join Arsenal before moving to White Hart Lane, during an exclusive interview with popular football magazine FourFourTwo.
The 34-year-old’s sensational form for the Black Cats this term has conceded with his recall to the England national side, and his tally of 14 goals in the Premier League this season makes him the sixth highest goalscorer – a quite remarkable feat considering he is playing in a team who are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table.
And Defoe sat down for an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo, sharing a story about how excited he was when he was linked with a move to Arsenal during his time with the Hammers, before eventually joining their bitter rivals Tottenham:
Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe
“The Arsenal link was exciting because Ian Wright was my hero as a kid. Spurs was perfect for me because of their history of strikers – Gary Lineker, Jimmy Greaves, Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham – so I wanted to get on that list, too.”
There is an argument to be made that the Gunners should actually sign Defoe now, a full 13 years after they were originally linked with him.
He is undoubtedly still one of the best strikers in the league, and at 34, he has proven that age really is just a number.
England’s Jermain Defoe
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