Having finally decided to call a day on his playing career, Jermain Defoe could now be set to return to Tottenham, as reported by The Daily Mail.

The striker has accumulated over 500 league appearances during his time on the field and most recently had a stint with Sunderland, a club he became a hero at due to his three years of goalscoring exploits with the side.

He scored 34 goals in three campaigns with the Black Cats as they struggled in the Premier League before departing to join Bournemouth, who remained in the top flight while Sunderland were demoted.

 

 

After a move to Scotland in-between, the striker arrived back at the Stadium of Light for an emphatic return, with many expecting him to help fire the club back into the play-offs and into the Championship. Defoe though hasn't hd the return that he would have liked.

With only seven league outings - and two starts - he has been unable to find the back of the net and has also been unable to put a good run of games together due to his match fitness. Having weighed up his options, Defoe has now decided to end his career with one of the only teams he has ever had two stints with.

Defoe now looks likely to head into coaching and is set to try and get his coaching badges now that he is no longer playing. Whilst he might end up back at the Stadium of Light again one day in a staff-based role, he looks likely to head back to another former club of his in Tottenham to help him achieve his goals.

Once he does, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him handed a proper off-field role and complete his transition into a coach.

The Verdict

The striker has had a very good playing career, of that there is no doubt and there is no question that Defoe should also make for an excellent coach when he does get his coaching badges.

Leaving Sunderland again after such a short stint might sadden plenty at the Stadium of Light, especially considering that most of the supporters probably imagined he might be their leading forward who could fire them to glory. Instead, it looks like he might not even be coaching them yet.

Instead, he looks likely to head to Spurs to do his coaching training but it might not be the last time he steps foot on the turf at the Stadium of Light. It wouldn't be surprising if he ended up back there as a coach at some point in his career.

Whilst that might not be for a while yet, it is still good to see that the player is getting the help he needs to be able to transition into an off-field role.