The prolific goal-scorer discusses his career highlights, Harry Kane and the challenges of moving from playing to coaching in his new podcast
Jermain Defoe: The Footballing Legend’s Next Chapter
Former England striker Jermain Defoe has officially retired from playing football after an illustrious 22-year career. The diminutive goal-getter scored more than 320 career goals and made over 820 appearances for club and country, featuring for seven different clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Sunderland, and Rangers.
Defoe is widely regarded as one of the best English strikers of his generation, scoring 162 Premier League goals, which is only beaten by a handful of legendary footballers. Defoe is now embarking on the next chapter of his football journey as a coach and manager.
Currently an academy coach at Tottenham, the club where he scored the most goals and made the most appearances in his career, Defoe is determined to learn and develop his skills before moving into a first-team management position of his own. He is documenting the start of his coaching journey through his BBC Sounds podcast ‘Jermain Defoe: Outside The Box’, where he picks the brains of successful managers he has played under and people he has played with that have gone on to manage.
One of those guests is Harry Redknapp, under whom Defoe played at three different clubs – West Ham, Portsmouth, and Tottenham. Redknapp is the manager that Defoe learned the most from during his playing days. Defoe admires Redknapp’s ability to manage senior players while giving younger players opportunities to fulfill their potential.
In his podcast, Defoe is open about his ambitions, fears, and challenges as he embarks on his coaching journey. He admits that the transition from player to coach is nerve-wracking, but he is determined to leave his mark on football as a coach and manager.
