Jermain Defoe has revealed his fifth goal in Tottenham’s 9-1 win over Wigan was his favourite for the club and cited the moment as one that made him feel ‘overwhelmed’ at the time.
The former Spurs striker announced his retirement from professional football last month which brought an end to a stellar 22-year playing career.
Defoe embarked on three separate stints with the club in that time scoring over 140 goals in more than 360 appearances, which has placed him sixth on the all-time list (Wikipedia).
The 39-year-old’s deadly ability in front of goal allowed him to record a number of high-quality finishes, including an iconic five-goal haul against Wigan in 2009.
The result became Tottenham’s biggest ever in the English top-flight, with Defoe becoming just the third player alongside Alan Shearer and Andy Cole to score five goals in a Premier League match.
Reflecting on that iconic display in North London, Defoe claims his fifth against the Latics was his favourite tally from his Spurs career.
He told Tottenham’s official website: “My fifth goal in the 9-1 win against Wigan (November, 2009). That was history, in front of my family at White Hart Lane.
MORE SPURS STORIES
“I was the first player to score five goals in one half. At the time, I knew only Alan Shearer and Andy Cole had done it. At the Lane as well, it was so special.”
Defoe was also pressed on sharing a moment at Spurs that made him cry and, almost unsurprisingly, he picked out his Wigan dismantling as he achieved it in front of the home faithful and his family.
He added: “Yes, at that Wigan game. I was so emotional. I was welling up when I scored the fifth, I was so happy. When you are at a Club you love and you do something like that in front of your home fans, in front of your family… I was a bit overwhelmed.
“The big thing for a striker in a game is to score a hat-trick and get the match-ball. But to score five, that’s something I dreamed about when I was a kid.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Defoe was one of England’s deadliest strikers and we definitely saw why that was the case with that performance against Wigan.
Hat-tricks don’t come around too often in the Premier League and to go and score five in that division is so impressive, so there is no doubt that is the moment that sticks out for him.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
