Jermain Defoe: My West Ham regret

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has opened up about his departure fromWest Ham United, admitting he made a ‘massive mistake’.

Defoe, who has started just one Premier League game for Tottenham this season, was speaking to the Daily Mirror and also confessed to still loving West Ham, despite the abuse he has received since he handed in a transfer request in 2003.

“It was a massive mistake. I didn’t really want to do it,” said Defoe.

“We’re talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the time because I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved me there. They were brilliant – every game they sang my name.

“The person who represented me at the time said, ‘You need to hand in a transfer request and get in early because all the lads are going to leave.’

“I remember going in and I was so nervous. It was (then Hammers chief executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him the letter and he said, ‘What’s this?’ And I said, ‘It’s a transfer request’.

“And he looked at me as if to say, ‘Are you kidding?’

“The backlash was crazy. I felt like I was on my own and people were absolutely abusing me.”

He added: “To this day I can imagine West Ham fans look at me and think, ‘Who does he think he is? How can you do that? You’re a Judas’. And it’s quite sad really because I can honestly say I still love that club.”

Jermain Defoe has played three matches in the Europa League this season, scoring four times. He is Spurs’ top scorer in Europe this season.