Former Portsmouth, Spurs, Rangers and West Ham striker Jermain Defoe makes surprise admission following shock Sunderland retirement

Jermain Defoe has made a surprise admission about his retirement – just two months after quitting football.
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The 39-year-old believes he ‘could still play now’, despite bringing an end to his career earlier in this year.

The former England striker announced his retirement midway through his second Sunderland spell in March, after the ex-Pompey forward made an emotional return to the Stadium of Light.

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Although he was tasked with guiding the Black Cats to the Championship, his reunion was short lived as he tore up his Mackems contract just over a month after he rejoined his former club.

In that period, it saw Defoe fail to net in any of his seven appearances - five of which came from the bench.

Despite stating he still had the hunger and desire to carry on when he rejoined Sunderland, the former England international admitted it was the ‘right time to bow out’ when he brought an end to his 22-year career in March.

But less than two months since his surprise retirement, the striker has made another questionable admission.

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In a video with Harry Kane on Spurs’ YouTube channel, the forward insisted he was still sharp and ‘could still play now’.

Former Pompey striker Jermain Defoe admits 'could still play now', months after shock Sunderland retirement.Former Pompey striker Jermain Defoe admits 'could still play now', months after shock Sunderland retirement.
Former Pompey striker Jermain Defoe admits 'could still play now', months after shock Sunderland retirement.

He told the England skipper: ‘39 H (Harry Kane), 39, so literally just finished.

‘Literally, I could still play now.

‘Obviously you still get the niggles and like my ankles and my back and all that sort of stuff but I still feel… it wasn’t a case where I’m training and I can’t get my shots off, shots are getting blocked and that.

‘The lads were still saying to me, “JD how are you this sharp at 39, because like you, I’ve looked after myself from day one”.’

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Defoe made his professional debut in 2000 for West Ham and would go on to score 41 times in 106 appearances during his four-and-a-half-year stay at Upton Park.

A move to Spurs would follow before he linked up with his former boss Harry Redknapp at Pompey in 2008 – and made 36 outings for the Blues, netting 17 times.

The striker returned to White Hart Lane in controversial circumstances a year later, before spells at Toronto, Sunderland, Bournemouth and Rangers would follow.

In total, Defoe scored 324 goals in 558 appearances for both club and country.