Is Jermain Defoe A Tottenham Legend?
By Logan Holmes
Farewell to Jermain Defoe. [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]
A fortnight ago, I threw out some names of Spurs players from the past and asked the question if they were club Legends. Is Jermain Defoe who has just left to join FC Toronto, a Tottenham Legend?
[Ed. This is an article I had planned to post at the end of last month when Jermain Defoe left White Hart Lane but was unable to due to a computer problem]
Thursday week ago, Jermain Defoe received a rapturous reception as he made his last appearance at White Hart Lane before joining FC Toronto. Unable, to play due to injury, he missed the opportunity to add to his tally of goals in European competitions but when interviewed on the pitch at half-time he was given a tremendous send-off.
Related Articles:
Jermain Defoe – Top 5 Hit on Tottenham’s Goalscoring Record – Read more
Tottenham All-time Goalscoring List – Read more
Defoe’s European Goals for Spurs – Read more
Jermain Defoe’s Stats
Defoe played 363 games for Spurs over 9 years at White Hart Lane. He is 5th in the club’s all-time goalscoring record with 143 goals, including being the top goalscorer in European competitions for Spurs with 23 goals.
2004 – 08:
League: App. 139 Goals: 43
FA Cup: App. 12 Goals: 5
League Cup: App. 16 Goals: 10
Europe: App. 10 Goals: 6
Total: App. 177 Goals: 64
2009 – 14
League: App. 137 Goals: 48
FA Cup: App. 16 Goals: 10
League Cup: App. 8 Goals: 4
Europe: App. 25 Goals: 17
Total: App. 186 Goals: 79
Total: Appearances: 363 Goals: 143
Jermain Defoe gets a great send-off. [Photo: Logan Holmes]
Jermain Defoe – a Tottenham Legend?
Jermain Defoe carried off the pitch [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]
Of Course
- Jermain Defoe was loyal to Tottenham and as he said in his last interview, he didn’t really want to leave the club in 2008. It was due to circumstances at the time, he wasn’t playing in the team and at his age he, understandably, wanted regular first team football, so left for Portsmouth.
- He also put up with periods out of the team but came on as a substitute to score many an important goal.
- He scored some great goals during his time at Spurs and will be remembered for his 5 against Wigan in 2009 when he scored all five in the second half, including his hat-trick in 7 minutes.
- He is fifth on the Spurs all-time scoring records and the players above him are all regarded as legends – Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith, Martin Chivers and Cliff Jones. As are many of the players he has overtaken on that list in the past eighteen months – George Hunt, Len Duquemin, Alan Gilzean and Teddy Sheringham. Robbie Keane is 10th on the list and in the recent poll on HotspurHQ was included by readers as a Spurs legend.
Not So Sure About That
- Defoe never seemed to be guaranteed a starting place in the team, so many managers for Spurs and England preferred using him as a substitute to bring off the bench late in the game when in need of a goal.
- Defoe lacked consistency – he had periods when on form that he scored regularly but equally there were times went he went for lengthy spells when he simply couldn’t get a goal. In 2010-11 he scored 4 goals in 22 league appearances and in 2013 he scored only two goals in the league.
- Legends are usually associated with winning teams but Defoe didn’t win any silverware while at Tottenham, missing out on the Carling Cup success in 2008 as a result of his transfer to Portsmouth where he missed the FA Cup triumph as he was cup-tied.
- He tended to score goals against weaker teams rather than the top teams.
Is Jermain Defoe A Tottenham Legend?
Vote on the HotspurHQ Poll