Tottenham legend reveals he turned down Juventus for North London return
Former Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe has revealed he was offered the chance of joining Juventus before opting for a return to Spurs.
Tottenham Hotspur have boasted some prolific goalscorers over the years. Harry Kane, Spurs’ all-time leading scorer with 280 goals, is the standout name.
But not far behind is Jermain Defoe, who bagged 143 goals for the club and sits seventh on the club’s all-time scoring charts.
The Englishman had two spells at Tottenham, first joining in 2004 before returning in 2008. Now, he has lifted the lid on just how much interest he had from clubs both in England and abroad.
Jermain Defoe on interest from Juventus, Manchester United, and Liverpool
Speaking about the clubs that wanted him, Defoe said to WhoScored: “United and Liverpool, I was linked with a few times. United a lot when I was at West Ham, Liverpool when I was at Tottenham. Juventus?
“I got a phone call before I went back to Tottenham in 2008. I was going back to Spurs from Portsmouth, and I remember my agent calling me.
“Well, actually, it wasn’t even my agent at the time. He just said, ‘Juve are interested. You know there’s Tottenham there, but if it doesn’t go through, would you fancy Juventus?’ And I said, ‘Yeah!’ I think those three clubs I mentioned—giant clubs.”
Defoe’s return to Spurs ultimately materialised, but the thought of swapping the Premier League for Serie A and donning the black and white of Juventus was a tempting one.
The Bianconeri were a powerhouse in Italian football, and the opportunity to lead the line alongside some of the most legendary strikers in the game would have been an entirely different challenge for the Englishman.
Defoe chose Tottenham over some of the European greats
Reflecting on what it would have been like to play for Juventus, Defoe couldn’t help but marvel at the idea of partnering with legends like Alessandro Del Piero.
“Imagine,” he said. “You talk about forwards you’d love to play with, but actually, he played in Soccer Aid last year, and it was just like—wow. As a young centre-forward, growing up watching players like that, an iconic figure.”
On David Trezeguet, Defoe kept it short and sweet: “Legend.” The Frenchman was a prolific goalscorer for Juventus, and Defoe could only imagine what it would have been like to share a front line with him in the Champions League.
The move never happened, but the thought of Defoe linking up with such world-class talent remains an intriguing ‘what if’ in football history.
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