Tottenham confirm Jermain Defoe has joined academy coaching staff

Tottenham have confirmed the appointment of club legend Jermain Defoe as an academy coach and Spurs ambassador.

The former England striker, 39, returns to the team where he spent two spells as a player, scoring 143 goals in 363 appearances in the process.

It is a second coaching role for Defoe after a brief stint with Rangers, where he spent the majority of his latter playing years before a final short spell back at Sunderland and retiring in March.

He will work across the age groups between Under-17 and U21 level, as well as helping carry out Tottenham’s work in the community, engaging with their global fanbase and supporting club partners.

It is the latest move by Spurs in an ongoing revamping of their youth setup, which has also seen Simon Davies take up the role of head of methodology in the academy at Hotspur Way.

Bournemouth manager Scott Parker and Ryan Mason, who now assists Tottenham’s first-team boss Antonio Conte after a previous stint in caretaker charge, both earned their first coaching jobs in the club’s academy, while Ledley King briefly worked under former manager Jose Mourinho.

“Welcome home, JD!” Spurs said in an official release on Friday morning.

More follows