Former England striker Jermain Defoe retires at 39

Posted March 24, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Former England striker Jermain Defoe announced his retirement from soccer on Thursday at the age of 39, ending a 22-year professional career in which he become one of the Premier League's greatest scorers.

Defoe scored 20 goals in 57 games for his country and was in England's squad for the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012.

At club level, he played for English teams West Ham, Tottenham, Portsmouth and Sunderland as well as Rangers in Scotland.

Defoe is the ninth-highest scorer in Premier League history with 162 goals in 496 appearances.

The final appearance of his career saw him come on as a substitute for Sunderland in a 0-0 draw at Lincoln in a third-division match on Saturday.

In a post on social media announcing his retirement, Defoe devoted special thanks to his mother.

'œYou gave me a ball at two years old,'ť he wrote, 'œand you made me believe my dream could happen.'ť

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.