• Premier League

Defoe desperate for first-team football at Spurs

ESPN staff
May 22, 2012
Jermain Defoe was selected in Roy Hodgson's England squad for Euro 2012 © Getty Images
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Jermain Defoe has hinted he may need to leave Tottenham Hotspur if he cannot secure regular football.

Defoe, 29, found himself behind on-loan Emmanuel Adebayor in the pecking order at Spurs last season, and the Togolese recently revealed that talks over a permanent switch from Manchester City are taking place.

Rafael van der Vaart and Louis Saha also competed for the two striking positions in the Spurs line-up this season, with Defoe sometimes relegated to fourth choice in Redknapp's attacking option.

Defoe has said he plans to keep his focus on Euro 2012 for the time being but warned that he is seeking more first-team opportunities at club level next season.

"It's a difficult one," he told talkSPORT. "I've never said I want to leave the club - I've just said I want to play. As a forward you just want to get some sort of rhythm and a run in the team. That wasn't the case towards the end of the season.

"I'm just going to see what happens. I'm going to concentrate on England and Euro 2012. The most important thing for me is scoring goals and that's when I'm at my happiest."

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