The former Hammers star believes supporters would soon forgive and forget if the 34-year-old returned to the club.
Former West Ham United star Tony Cottee has told Sky Sports News, as reported by the London Evening Standard, that Jermain Defoe’s goalscoring means he would soon have supporters signing his name again if he re-signed for the club.
Defoe was a huge fan favourite for the Hammers during his time as a player at Upton Park from the age of 16 from 1999 to 2004, scoring 41 goals in 105 games for the club.
However, he lost most of that good faith when he submitted a written transfer request in the summer of 2003, just 24 hours after the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
The ill-feeling caused by that move was compounded when he joined the Irons’ London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in January 2004, and many West Ham supporters still have not forgiven their former prodigal son.
Fast forward 13 years, however, and Defoe is being linked with a return to his former side as they hunt desperately for a new, reliable goalscorer in attack.
Defoe has scored 29 goals in his last 55 games for Sunderland in a team battling near the bottom, and the feeling is that Defoe, even at the age of 34 and despite his villain status among many Hammers fans, would be an astute signing by the East London club.
That is certainly the opinion of former West Ham hero Cottee, who believes that Defoe would soon have supporters signing his name again because of his goals.
Speaking about a potential return for Defoe, Cottee said, as reported by the Standard: “Once he’s scored his first goal for the club we’ll be singing his name.
“It’s important West Ham get a goalscorer in now because we want to move up.
“I think he was poorly advised [during his 2003-04 exit saga] I do believe that.”
Defoe would certainly add the near-guarantee of goals if West Ham can tempt Sunderland into selling the man who is far and away their most important player.
The former England man has averaged around a goal every two games for each club he has played for since leaving the Hammers.
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