Tottenham Hotspur are involved in another managerial hunt. They are searching for their third manager this season to avoid Premier League relegation.
Sitting in 17th place in the league standings, Tottenham sacked Thomas Frank in February, replacing him with Igor Tudor. The interim manager mutually parted ways on March 29 after one draw and four defeats in five league games.
Multiple names like Roberto De Zerbi, Sean Dyche, and Adi Hutter have been linked with the Spurs job. The club’s former players like Glenn Hoddle and Ryan Mason are also reportedly in the mix.
However, they can strike one name off that list – Jermain Defoe.
Tottenham icon Jermain Defoe appointed Woking FC’s head coach
Many Tottenham fans have named Jermain Defoe in their ideal coaching staff to help the club avoid relegation. The former striker knows Spurs inside out and has shown good football knowledge in his few punditry appearances.
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However, Defoe has now joined Woking FC as their head coach. The National League side sacked Neal Ardley earlier this month after a run of six defeats in nine league games.
Craig Ross and Jake Hyde have been the interim managers of the club following Ardley’s sacking and will now join Defoe’s staff. This is the former England striker’s first job as a head coach.
Defore retired in 2022 and eventually completed his coaching badges. He also served as an assistant manager to Steven Gerrard at Rangers and the head coach of Tottenham’s U18 side for a few months.
Woking chairman Todd Johnson and Director of Football Jody Brown both noted Defoe’s view towards football in their statements after his appointment. Johnson stated:
“Jermain’s achievements as a player speak for themselves, but what stood out to us during the process was how he sees the game, how he drives standards, and his approach to leadership and player development.”
Meanwhile, Brown added:
“Jermain’s love of the game, his determination to succeed, and his alignment with our preferred playing philosophy were important. These are shared values in terms of the working environment, player development, and high-performance culture.”
Jermain Defoe expresses his excitement at joining Woking FC
The former Tottenham striker also shared his thoughts after joining the National League side. He said:
“Woking is a historic club with huge potential, and I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting project. I can’t wait to get started.”
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Defoe scored 143 goals and provided 32 assists in 363 games for Tottenham. He also played for the likes of West Ham and Sunderland. He earned 57 caps for England, scoring 20 goals.
Meanwhile, Woking FC are 11th in the National League table after 39 games this season. They will next face Altrincham on March 31. Defoe will take charge of their game against Eastleigh on Friday, April 3.
