• Euro 2012

Defoe desperate for Euro 2012 chance

Jermain Defoe is hopeful he will be part of England's Euro 2012 campaign if he continues to score goals for Tottenham.

Defoe has netted eight goals in his last 10 starts for Tottenham, and scored twice as Spurs booked their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Stevenage on Wednesday.

However, Defoe has struggled to command a regular place in Harry Redknapp's starting XI this season, spending time of the bench behind Emmanuel Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart.

He was left out of Stuart Pearce's England squad for last week's defeat to Netherlands, but Defoe insists he feels sharp and retains hope of an England recall.

"Obviously [Euro 2012] is at the back of my mind, it's only normal," Defoe admitted to ESPN. "If I keep doing what I'm doing for Tottenham then we will see what happens.

"I feel sharp. I have felt sharp all season. I have always said when you are playing in a team like this you are going to get chances [to score], so it's just down to me to take them.

"I think everyone wants to get a run in the team. It is difficult, we have got a big squad but the manager knows when I am called upon I will be ready. Like I said before, all I can do when I get the chances is do what I do best and score goals."

With Wayne Rooney suspended for the Three Lions' ffirst two group games at this summer's European Championship and the injured Darren Bent facing a race to be fit in time, Redknapp believes Defoe could be the answer to England's striker shortage.

"He's got a chance," Redknapp said. "There's a shortage of top strikers in this country, let's be honest, if there is a problem area that is it.

"Jermain is up there with the best of them when he's sharp and on form and he's looking sharp at the moment - I'm delighted. He has been with me all his career more or less, from West Ham at 15, so I know what he can do and when he is in that type of form he is a good player."

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