(Football news) Former Tottenham, West Ham and England striker Jermain Defoe has announced his retirement at the age of 39 and it's fair to say that he will be regarded as a Premier League legend. He earned 57 caps for his country, while finding the target on 20 occasions and he also managed to score 162 Premier League goals, being one of the most reliable finishers of the modern era.
Defoe appeared in 731 career games at club level and amassed a massive 286 goals record. He is probably best remembered for his time at White Hart Lane, with two productive stints at Tottenham where he scored 143 goals. A spell at Portsmouth was sandwiched between his productive years with Spurs and Harry Redknapp. Defoe had started at West Ham, having graduated out of their academy system and he then went on to make his senior England debut shortly after moving from east to north London in February 2004. He was left out of World Cup squads in 2006 and 2014, but played the 2010 event and even made the cut for Euro 2012. During the twilight of his career, he suffered relegation from the Premier League with Sunderland in 2017, leading to a brief spell at Bournemouth before linking up with ex-England team-mate Steven Gerrard at Rangers.
Defoe spent time in the MLS with Toronto FC in 2014 and scored 14 times for them, and he also bows out as the ninth highest scorer in the Premier League’s all-time top scorer list. Defoe's playing career has always been punctuated by several tragic occurrences that took off the pitch. In April 2009 his 26-year-old half brother Jade Defoe died of head injuries following an assault and then his father Jimmy died of cancer in June 2012 when he was just preparing with England for the Euro 2012. Defoe was also best known for his relationship with terminally ill Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery who became somewhat of a cult hero back at Tyneside for his bravery and his friendship with Defoe. His work through the Jermain Defoe Foundation also brought him an OBE in 2018 for services to charity. Defoe will always be a household name in English football and is certainly leaving a great legacy behind
In a statement released on Twitter, Defoe said: “After 22 years in the game, I have decided to retire from professional football. It's been a really tough decision, and one I have discussed with my family and those closest to me. I made my professional debut at 17 years old in 1999, and I feel now is the right time to bow out. I have had an incredible journey, and have met some amazing people in the game. Football will always be in my blood, and it gives me great pride and satisfaction to look back on the blessed career that I've had. I now look forward to spending some quality time with my friends and family before moving forward on this next chapter in my career.
“Thank you to all the fans from each club I've played for. The love I have received and endured throughout my career will never be forgotten, and I will always have a special bond with you all. Thank you also to my amazing team-mates, coaches and staff for playing such an integral part in my career. Lastly, I want to say thank you to my mum. You gave me a ball at two years old and you made me believe my dream could happen. All that I am is because of you, and I owe everything to you and God.”
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