SPURS NEWS:
Source: The Times
On a list of the most precociously talented English forwards of the past 20 years, Jermain Defoe ought to figure high up. Blessed with razor-sharp reflexes, explosive pace and the instinct of a classic penalty-box predator, the Tottenham Hotspur and England forward is an invaluable asset.
His impressive strike tally of 47 goals in 86 starts for the North London club reveals why Defoe attracts feverish speculation about his prospects as the transfer window approaches. It also illustrates why Martin Jol, the Tottenham head coach, is adamant Defoe is going nowhere, as the club’s revival continues apace.
The 24-year-old is a footballer reborn. He is fit, in form and loving the challenge, with last season’s club-rotation frustrations and World Cup heartache a dim memory.
Defoe scored twice in Thursday’s 3-1 Uefa Cup home victory over Dynamo Bucharest and has eight goals in his past seven starts. With Dimitar Berbatov, his destructive strike partner, he has helped to make Tottenham one of the toughest sides in the competition.
Moving to another club is not on the agenda for a player who is content at White Hart Lane. “I’m happy here,” Defoe said. “I just let my football do the talking. When I’m out there playing and I’ve got a smile on my face and I’m playing well, I think people know I’m happy here. All my friends are here and they’re all playing well.
“So, if you’re doing well, as a team and as a club, why would you want to go anywhere? It doesn’t make any sense. I can achieve what I want to achieve here, definitely. The squad’s so strong, there’s so much quality in the squad, I’m playing with good players and that’s all I wanted to do.
“I’m playing and I feel good at the minute. Obviously it’s important to play, especially me as I love football so much. All I want to do is play, score goals, do my best for the team and get a run of games, so I’m really enjoying it.”
Defoe has scored as many Tottenham goals — nine — as last season, when he was on and off the bench. “I was thinking about that on Thursday night,” he said. “As a forward, when you’re scoring goals and confident you feel great, you get a real rhythm going, the more you play the sharper and fitter you feel.
“A big squad means competition for places throughout, but that’s not a bad thing, it’s healthy. Obviously it gives the manager a selection headache but that quality can only be good for the club. That stimulates your performances, keeps you on your toes, not only in games but even in training.”
Jol has to solve the conundrum of fitting four strikers — Defoe, Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Mido — into two places, but injuries to the last two and the exceptional form of the first two have provided an easy solution.
However, Defoe has sympathy for the injured duo. “You want everyone fit — Robbie, J. J. [Jermaine Jenas] — because you can’t do it all the time,” he said. “It’s about the team, about the squad, contributing, helping to win the game.
“The spirit in the camp is great. Even the new players who’ve come in, they’ve gelled straight away. And I think it’s because it is a young squad. Everyone’s together and that’s showing now. That’s important because, once you get the spirit right, everyone fights for each other.”
A long-awaited piece of silverware, especially in Europe, would top things off, particularly after yesterday’s Uefa Cup draw paired Tottenham with Feyenoord, their 1974 Uefa Cup final conquerors.
“For a lot of the boys it’s our first time playing in Europe, a young squad, some new faces,” Defoe said. “This would be a great competition to win, any cup actually, for everyone involved with the club, because it’s been a long time.”
Translating their European and home form when playing away from home in the Barclays Premiership would be another timely fillip. Defoe said: “We’ve won ten in a row at home now in all competitions, which is a good achievement. Hopefully we can start doing that away from home now, and tomorrow at Manchester City would be a good start. But it’s going to be a tough game because they’re really strong at home.”
Defoe — who will make his 120th appearance for Tottenham at the City of Manchester Stadium — is optimistic that his career can go from strength to strength. “There are exciting times for club and country ahead and, when you think about that, it makes you want to work harder and push on,” he said. “And the fact we’ve got so many big games coming in keeps you focused.”
The painful experience of missing out on a place in the World Cup squad in the summer is another motivating factor. “It was heartbreaking, a massive blow to miss out on the World Cup, especially being there in Germany with the boys and then having to come home, two days before the first game,” he said.
“I’ve got over that now and importantly I was straight back into the England squad for the new campaign, which was great, playing and scoring, too.
“But I suppose it made me hungrier, more determined to have a good season, and, I suppose, show people I should have been there.”
Knowing the score
3 Number of goals Jermain Defoe has scored for England
7 How much he cost Tottenham — in millions — when he joined them in January 2004
10 Number of consecutive games he scored in to break league record when on loan at Bournemouth in Jan 2001
21 Total of England senior caps, starting with match away to Sweden in March 2004
107 Goals for West Ham United, Bournemouth and Spurs
119 Appearances for Tottenham
-
The Transfer Rumours and SC ITK forums are now open :-)
Defoe vows to stay at Tottenham until he delivers some silverware
Discussion in 'Spurscommunity Front Page News' started by ricardo_archibald, Dec 16, 2006.
-
by ricardo_archibald, Dec 16, 2006 at 9:40 AM
-
ricardo_archibald Member
Categories:
Uncategorized
Comments
Discussion in 'Spurscommunity Front Page News' started by ricardo_archibald, Dec 16, 2006.
Page 1 of 2
XenPorta
© Jason Axelrod from 8WayRun.Com