Alex Neil admits Jermain Defoe's retirement came as a 'shock' - saying the ex-England striker gave no indication that he preparing to hang up his boots when he trained earlier that day. Defoe announced last Thursday that he was calling time on his 23-year career, less than two months after rejoining Sunderland for a second stint on Wearside having left Scottish giants Rangers in January.
The 39-year-old had signed a contract that ran until the end of the season but decided to retire with seven games of the League One campaign still remaining, having made just seven appearances - including only two starts - since his return to the club, and without scoring a goal. Neil says the news came out of the blue, with Defoe having trained on the day without giving any clue as to his decision.
But Neil insists Defoe leaves with the club's best wishes, and says he has spoken to the former Spurs and West Ham man since his departure. "We wish him well," said Neil.
"I think it's difficult with somebody like Jermain, with the creer he has had and what he has done, you know as a player when you feel that it is time. And unfortunately for Jermain, he got to that point.
"I'll be honest. It was a bit of a surprise, it was a shock. There weren't a lot of conversations prior to it, he trained that day, he trained well, he was fine, and the next minute we got word that he wanted to call it a day.
"I have spoken to him since, but at the time I think it was a bit of a shock to everybody. It certainly wasn't something that was being spoken about regularly - maybe behind the scenes, but it wasn't a natural conversation that me and him had had leading up to it.
"He's made his decision and we have to respect that, and we wish him all the best but we have to move on and try to win these remaining games."
While Defoe's second spell at Sunderland was a damp squib, he will still be accorded hero status by fans following his previous two-and-a-half year stay at the club between January 2015 and the summer of 2017. He scored 34 Premier League goals in 87 games for Sunderland, helping the club avoid relegation under Dick Advocaat in 2015, and again under Sam Allardyce the following season.
Defoe also scored a stunning goal in Sunderland's Wear-Tyne derby win in April 2015, and another in the 1-1 derby draw at St James' Park in March 2016. Off the field, Defoe also developed a strong bond with young Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery as the six-year-old battled against a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer, before he passed away in the summer of 2017.
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