Being a big Defoe fan, it was terrible seeing him being wasted with Spurs. With Pompey, I think he'll have a new lease on his career and expect goals. He's that good.
Quote:
I left Spurs to salvage my England career, says new Pompey star Defoe
Jermain Defoe today admitted he had to leave Tottenham because his lack of first-team football was threatening his England career.
Defoe completed a £9million move to Portsmouth just before the transfer window shut at midnight last night.
It came on the same day he was left out of Fabio Capello's first England squad for the friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on Wednesday.
New man at Pompey: Jermain Defoe can't wait to start for Portsmouth after frustration at the lack of first-team opportunities at Tottenham
It is believed the Italian told Defoe that he has to be playing more football to be involved - and he was not going to get that at White Hart Lane this season.
The 25-year-old has started just three Premier League games for Spurs this term and has been mostly used as a substitute by manager Juande Ramos.
Defoe, who is reunited with manager Harry Redknapp having played under him at West Ham, believes he has a better chance to impress Capello at Portsmouth.
He said: "I haven't been playing football so I can't expect to be named in the England squad. I totally understand. Hopefully I will play regularly here and get myself back in there. I just want to play and get some goals.
"I can't wait, to be honest. I haven't been playing so I just want to get my boots on, I'm happy."
Redknapp added: "I think he will be a great signing for us. A couple of his mates are down here in Glen Johnson and David James. I think he is a top player. He is too good not to be playing. It is about moving the club forward, getting better players and it will be great to have him."
The 25-year-old's transfer was concluded despite Manchester City's £9m move for Portsmouth striker Benjani failing.
City spokesman Paul Tyrrell said this morning: "Due to the late arrival of the player in Manchester, we were unable to complete the transfer."
Defoe had an anxious wait having agreed personal terms by 8.30pm and passed his medical by 10pm. But the transfer was held up as Benjani didn't arrive at City's training ground until 11.10pm.
Defoe's move went through - and he wasn't the only one leaving Spurs last night.
Also going - on loan deals - are defenders Anthony Gardner and Paul Stalteri, who have joined Everton and Fulham for the rest of the season respectively.
There were also reports that midfielder Teemu Tainio was on the verge of a £4.5m move to Birmingham only for it to fall through late on.
But Spurs did finally complete the £2m deal for Hertha Berlin left back Gilberto.
good player, just needs to get some games under his belt and he'll start finding the back of the net. Only thing that annoys me about him is his constant straying offside when he has the pace to beat most defenders anyway.
I like this lad too. Think an year or two ago he was linked with a move to OT. Maybe he should have come to United.
Anyway i wish him luck at Portsmouth. Hope he'll do well and will see him playing for England alongside Rooney.
This will be great for defoes career. The fact that he was rarely used at spurs shocked me, He's a great player with a lot of potential to be a great striker for england
Man, Benjani needs to go to City. I want Defoe permenantly with Pompey.
I'm wondering how Portsmouth constructed this deal. I've read that it was a sale and now I'm reading it was a loan deal with room for it to become permenant.
Does anyone know EPL transfer rules?
Quote:
Portsmouth have admitted that Jermain Defoe's reported £7.5million move from Tottenham to Fratton Park is only a loan deal - but that a full transfer will be completed later this week.
Defoe grabbed Pompey's equaliser to earn a point on his debut against Chelsea yesterday and has become an instant hero with the home fans.
But the revelation that he is, initially, only on loan is yet another twist in the saga that leaves Benjani Mwaruwari still in limbo, holed up in a Manchester hotel, after his move to Manchester City ran out of time on Thursday night.
But Pompey insist the two situations have no effect on each other - even though manager Harry Redknapp admitted the plan was always to sell Benjani to raise the cash to buy Defoe.
Pompey are confident both transfers will go through this week when the Premier League complete their investigation over why forms from City to register Benjani did not arrive in time to beat the January transfer deadline.
A Pompey spokesman explained: 'The Defoe transfer was done as an initial loan because of time restraint.
'The full documents will be signed and registered this week and this is a standard method when you have little time.'
Defoe and Redknapp seemed blissfully unaware of all this after the former Tottenham and West ham striker kept up his record of scoring on debuts for different clubs with a 64th minute leveller which prevented Chelsea setting a club record of 10 straight wins - and a 10th consecutive win over Pompey.
Redknapp said: 'I honestly could not tell you the exact details but (at five minutes to midnight on Thursday) the two deals were dependent on each other with us getting £9million for Benjani and spending it on Defoe.
'I feel for Benjani because at the moment he seems to be the big loser in all this, but hopefully it will all be sorted out on Monday and I think he will end up as a Manchester City player.
'If not, from a greedy football manager's point of view, I'd be delighted to get Benjani back. I didn't want to lose him in the first place but, of course, I had to because it is good business to sell a 29-year-old and get in a lad of 25 who is always going to get you goals.
'The owner has spent a lot of money here already. He's been fantastic for me and it wouldn't be fair on him if he has to spend more now (with nothing coming back).'
Capello has changed the squad and i guess we could see Defoe playing for England on Wednesday. Looking forward
to it, 'cause i haven't seen Jermain playing for a long time.
Yep, absolutely outstanding player, can't believe Ramos never used him in games. He really needed to move to show his potential, and it has shown, scoring the equaliser and nearly scoring 2 more times against portsmouth! I think he is a class player, and I reckon we should of got him, would of been a good 3rd striker.
I always thought he was rubbish when i heard reports of him gong to united, but he's definitely a top half of the table type striker. I'm not sure if getting rid of penjani and getting defoe is a great idea, but i guess it provides enough cover for now. Too bad, Portsmoth doesn't have any money, otherwise they might actually have a nice little team to grow from.
Personally I thought Shiteh were giong to buy him, but he'll fit in nicely.
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Defoe to Portsmouth
Defoe to Portsmouth -
02-02-2008, 06:24 AM
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