Jermain Defoe has admitted he could only have left Tottenham a second time to play for a club outside the Premier League.
Defoe joins Major League Soccer club Toronto FC in the coming days and was close to tears as he was given an emotional send off at half-time of last night’s Europa League victory over Dnipro.
Across two spells at White Hart Lane, from 2004-08 and 2009-13, Defoe scored 143 goals in 363 appearances, leaving him fifth on the club’s all-time charts.
“I suppose it would have felt weird going to another Premier League club and playing against Tottenham,” said the England forward. “I’ve been here a long time, all my friends are here and a lot of the boys have been here a while too now.
“It will be difficult when I leave but that’s part and parcel of playing football, players move on. I’m also looking forward to the next challenge.
Top 10 Tottenham goalscorers
“Toronto is a club that wants to go places and they’re proving that with the players they’ve brought in. It’s a fantastic city with lovely people who are so focussed not just on football but on their sport in general. They enjoy it, embrace it and to be a part of it, it’s special for my family and I.
“I’m really looking forward to going, but leaving Spurs is going to be tough. It’s been truly amazing here.”
Defoe has never won a trophy at Tottenham but was a strong performer for the club in both his spells and helped them qualify for the 2010/11 edition of the Champions League, in which Spurs reached the quarter-finals.
The reception he was given last night demonstrated the affection in which Defoe will always be held in that corner of north London. He told Spurs TV: “All the legends, all the great names that have played for this club and when I look at the list of the top 10 all-time great goalscorers, to be in there among those great players is just so special.”
