Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe has made his first venture into full-time management by taking the head coach role at National League side Woking.
The appointment comes on the same day that Spurs announced the exit of Igor Tudor and his staff.
Defoe had been linked with a return to Spurs’ coaching staff amid Tudor’s struggles, having previously worked as an academy coach at the north London club, but will now take the senior job at Woking.
Defoe’s only previous experience in senior management was a short spell as part of a four-man caretaker team that took charge of Rangers after Steven Gerrard’s departure in 2021.
“Woking is a historic club with huge potential, and I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting project. I can’t wait to get started,” Defoe, who managed 20 goals in 57 appearances for England, said in a statement.
– Tottenham and Tudor part ways with club deep in relegation mire
– Tudor’s 43-day tenure at Tottenham Hotspur: A timeline of failure
– Igor Tudor joins list of shortest managerial reigns in Premier League era
Woking sit mid-table in England’s fifth-tier, nine points off the top seven.
“Jermain’s achievements as a player speak for themselves, but what stood out to us during the process was how he sees the game, how he drives standards, and his approach to leadership and player development,” club chairman Todd Johnson said.
“We have a clear plan for where we want to go as a club, and we believe Jermain is the right person to build on the strong foundations already in place and help take us forward in the next phase of that journey.”
Defoe also turned out for Portsmouth, Sunderland, Rangers and West Ham among others in a storied playing career.
“Defoe joins the club following a distinguished playing career at the highest levels of the game and has built coaching experience through his work within the academy structure at Tottenham Hotspur and in a player-coach role at Rangers FC as part of Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff,” Woking said.
