Report: Spurs open door for former striker to return to the club
Tottenham Hotspur have offered Jermain Defoe the opportunity to return to the club and finish his coaching badges, according to the Daily Mail.
The 39-year-old announced on Twitter earlier today that he had decided to retire from professional football, having only rejoined Sunderland in February.
Defoe originally joined Tottenham from West Ham United in 2004 and went on to score 143 goals in 363 appearances for the north Londoners across two spells over the next decade with a year away at Portsmouth wedged in between over 2008 and 2009 (transfermarkt).
The report claims that Defoe has already started his coaching qualifications and will provide him the opportunity to finish what he started at the club’s Hotspur Way training facility, which could lead to him remaining at the club in a more formal role.
Tottenham have given a number of former players the opportunity to progress their coaching career with Ryan Mason (ESPN) and Ledley King (The Athletic) having gained their qualifications with the help of the club.
Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has also been spending time with Tottenham’s academy as he works towards completing his UEFA coaching badges (The Athletic).
SpursWeb Opinion
Bringing Defoe back to the club to help him on the path of his coaching career is exactly the type of thing you want to see, given the service he provided on the pitch.
There are a number of former players within roles at the club with Ledley King and Michael Dawson currently working as club ambassadors, while Ryan Mason has worked his way up from the academy coaching set-up to become a member of Antonio Conte’s backroom staff.
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