Tottenham appoint Jermain Defoe as academy coach
By Sean Walsh
Tottenham legend Jermain Defoe has returned to the club as an academy coach, while he will also take on official ambassadorial duties.
Defoe scored 143 goals in 362 games for Spurs across two stints either side of a year at Portsmouth and is currently their sixth-highest scorer of all time.
The 39-year-old announced his retirement from professional football back in March after a brief stint back at Sunderland, and Tottenham have now confirmed that Defoe will join their academy coaching staff.
Defoe is the second high-profile appointment to Spurs' youth ranks this summer after ex-Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure became a permanent member of the academy coaching staff having spent time at Hotspur Way last season.
Listen now to Oh What a Night, 90min's Tottenham Hotspur podcast! This week, Sean Walsh and Jude Summerfield discuss Spurs' win against Southampton, their love for Dejan Kulusevski, and look ahead to Sunday's trip to Chelsea...
In addition to his coaching role, Defoe has also become a club ambassador, which will see him work in the local community and represent Spurs at official events.
Former teammates Ledley King and Michael Dawson are two of the club's current ambassadors and Defoe will take up a similar role alongside the duo.
While Defoe was at Portsmouth at the time, he received a medal for Tottenham's 2008 League Cup triumph as he had played in the earlier rounds of the competition, and therefore was technically part of the last Spurs squad to win a major trophy.