41-year-old admits he dreams of managing Tottenham one day – Spurs Web – Tottenham Hotspur Football News
Jermain Defoe, who began his coaching journey at the Spurs academy 18 months ago, has admitted that he dreams of one day managing Tottenham Hotspur.
Defoe was a fan favourite at White Hart Lane, with the striker netting 143 goals at the club over his two spells.
The fact that the striker returned to Tottenham in 2009, just a year after leaving the club to join Portsmouth, shows just how much the Lilywhites meant to him.
The former England star began his foray into coaching a year and a half ago, joining the Under-18s coach at Hotspur Way, and he has previously made no secret of the fact that he has grand ambitions (Yahoo Sport).
Jermain Defoe wants to manage Tottenham one day
He has now admitted that his big dream is to one day be sitting in the main seat in the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Defoe told The Daily Mail: “It would be amazing to manage Tottenham,’ he adds. And the crazy thing about football is you never know. An opportunity could be around the corner.”
Having seen first-hand how the atmosphere has transformed at Tottenham since Ange Postecoglou arrived through the door last summer, Defoe also hailed the impact of the Australian.
When asked about the current Spurs head coach, he said: “The impact in such a short space of time has been amazing. Obviously, the results are the most important thing, but what is pleasing more than anything else is the performances and how the team play. That freedom to go and express yourselves and give the fans something to cheer about.
“Ange is refreshing because he is so normal. You see with the way he speaks in press conferences, and nothing is complicated in the way he plays. Getting the best out of your players is so important – and I think he has mastered that.”
I am sure most Tottenham fans would be enthusiastic about the idea of Defoe managing the first team if he proves himself over the next few years.
However, the 41-year-old would likely have to leave the academy role and take up a job in the EFL and work his way up the footballing pyramid, which is never easy as just one bad stint can often prove the end of the road for some managers.