Jermain Defoe officially announced his retirement on Thursday, May 24th, 2022 at the age of 39. The former England striker had graced many clubs in a career spanning three decades, scoring a range of spectacular and crucial goals for the likes of Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth amongst others. Here is a look back at just five of the best from Jermain Defoe’s career that gave us fans 305 goals in all competitions plus another 20 for England.
Top Five Goals From Jermain Defoe’s Career
TOTTENHAM vs Manchester United – 12/09/2009
Just 38 seconds into the Premier League clash with Manchester United, Defoe opened the scoring with a moment of class. The White Hart Lane crowd had barely settled into their seats when a long ball was sent into the United box. Peter Crouch challenged United defender Nemanja Vidic, the ball then hung in the air and Defoe was the first to pounce and produced a superb overhead kick from eight yards out which nestled into the bottom corner.
United would recover and go on to win the game 3-1; however, despite the result, many were talking about Defoe’s goal.
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TOTTENHAM vs Manchester City – 21/04/2013
Trailing 1-0 thanks to a 5th-minute strike from Sami Nasri, Spurs needed something special to get a result when the scoreline was still the same in the 75th minute. Clint Dempsey equalised and then four minutes late Jermain Defoe hit one of his best strikes in a Tottenham shirt.
A through ball sent Defoe in on goal; however, with the ball going towards the corner of the penalty area, the prolific striker still had work to do. Cutting inside the defender and onto his favoured right foot, he unleashed an unstoppable shot into the far corner giving the Manchester City keeper no chance. Three minutes later Gareth Bale capped an excellent comeback.
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SUNDERLAND vs Newcastle – 05/04/2015
A goal from seemingly out of nothing. Defoe’s stunning first-half volley gave Sunderland a crucial three points as they battled against relegation and also a fifth consecutive win over their fierce rivals.
A long ball was flicked on by Steven Fletcher but with the ball hanging in the air few expected what was to come. As the ball fell Defoe hit a stunning left-foot volley which gave the Newcastle goalkeeper no chance. The scenes in the stands and Defoe’s celebration will live long in the memory of every fan and the player himself.
Speaking about the goal after the game, Defoe told ESPN: “As the ball was dropping, I was just concentrating on the strike. During the week I’ve done a lot of shooting, and as soon as it left my foot I knew it was in. It was an unbelievable feeling. I was very emotional for some reason, as everyone wanted the three points so badly.
“I tried to blank it out, because if you think about the pressure too much you get tense and can’t perform. The lads have been telling me what today would be like with the atmosphere, and it was amazing. We’ve beaten them for a fifth time in a row and what a feeling.”
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SUNDERLAND vs Hull City – 19/11/2016: The 150th Premier League Goal of Jermain Defoe’s Career
This was the game where Defoe reached a milestone, scoring his 150th Premier League goal. His first-half strike sent the Black Cats on their way to a comfortable 3-1 victory.
Sunderland were struggling at the wrong end of the table and this was a much-needed win. Latching on to a flick-on, Defoe ran at the heart of the Hull City defence. He evaded three challenges and from inside the area shot into the bottom corner.
It had been 15 years prior when he scored his first top-flight goal and with this strike, it brought the then 34-year-old into an elite group of players to have scored 150 Premier League goals.
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Crystal Palace vs BOURNEMOUTH – 09/12/2017
Just before Christmas, Defoe gave Bournemouth fans an early gift with a finish to rival Marco van Basten’s famous strike for Holland in the 1988 European Championship Final.
At 35, his electric pace was beginning to fade but his technique and finishing ability were still very much intact. Chasing a ball towards the byline, there seemed little danger to the Crystal Palace goal. Or so everyone thought. As he reached the bouncing ball inside the area, he hit a superb dipping volley over the Palace keeper and into the net to take everyone by surprise.
Defoe’s 200th league goal had come earlier in the game; however, it is his 201st that will be most remembered amongst Bournemouth fans.
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