Jermain Defoe has revealed that Leeds United were among the clubs interested in signing him before joining Tottenham Hotspur for the first of two spells. Defoe made the move across London from West Ham to Spurs in February 2004 after expressing his desire to leave the Hammers earlier in the season due to their relegation.
Defoe signed for Spurs in a deal worth around £6 million and was an instant hit at White Hart Lane due to his strong goal scoring record. A host of other clubs were also interested in signing Defoe at the time, with the former England striker name checking Arsenal and Newcastle United as two clubs who were on the phone to him.
At the time of his West Ham departure, Leeds were in financial turmoil and on the brink of relegation themselves after selling a host of key players in order to balance the books. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s ‘Present Five’ Podcast, he claimed that Leeds were among the clubs keen on signing him despite their ongoing issues off the field.
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He said: “I remember signing for Tottenham and within two days I made my debut against Portsmouth, ended up scoring after 30 minutes and kicking on from there. Leaving West Ham was tough, the way I left is probably the one thing I regret.
“I remember at the time I got a call off Leeds and Newcastle. I remember speaking to Arsene Wenger - he wanted me and Carrick but then Tottenham came in. David Pleat was like: ‘I want this kid’ and that was it. It happened so quickly.”
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