Former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe has named the best players he ever played alongside, and plenty of Tottenham Hotspur stars have made the all-time XI.
Defoe enjoyed two spells at the North London club in his career. Having joined from West Ham in 2004, the England striker then moved to Portsmouth in January of 2008, before returning to Spurs the following January (Transfermarkt).
With 143 goals for Spurs, Defoe is currently sixth on the list of Tottenham’s all-time top scorers (MyFootballFacts) and is regarded by many as a club legend. Now retired, Defoe is set to become an academy coach at Spurs (Evening Standard).
Having played for seven different clubs throughout his career, and earning 57 England caps along the way, it’s safe to say Defoe has rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest players in the game.
When it comes to picking the best of the best though, Defoe had some interesting choices for his all-time XI. Speaking on the Premier League show 1 to 11, Defoe listed plenty of Spurs teammates among the best players he shared a pitch with.
Defoe named current Spurs captain Hugo Lloris as the best goalkeeper he ever played with, picking the Frenchman ahead of the likes of David James, Brad Friedel, and Paul Robinson. He was full of praise for Lloris, too.
He said: “Hugo was a special goalkeeper. What impresses me the most is how quick he was around the goal, how quick he is off the line. Brilliant goalkeeper. Very vocal, leader, a natural leader. So good with his feet, one of the best at head tennis.”
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The rest of the XI includes former Spurs stars Kyle Walker, Ledley King, Gareth Bale, Michael Carrick, Luka Modric, Aaron Lennon, and Dimitar Berbatov. Sol Campbell, who Defoe played with at Portsmouth, also made the line-up. West Ham teammates Paolo Di Canio and Joe Cole complete the XI.
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To be fair, there are very few surprises in Defoe’s selections here. The likes of Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Gareth Bale, and Luka Modric are all still world-class players at the top of their game and fully deserving of a place in any all-time XI.
Paolo Di Canio and Dimitar Berbatov were effortlessly brilliant players in their day too, and Joe Cole possessed such raw, explosive talent too, but was often underrated. We can’t say we appreciate the Sol Campbell mention, but with Ledley King alongside him, we’ll allow it.
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