Birthday Quote 7th October

Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic, joining their youth team aged 14, before moving to West Ham United aged 16 and rising through the ranks. He made his first-team debut for West Ham in 2000, and after a season-long loan spell at Bournemouth during the 2000-01 season, established himself in the West Ham line-up. After West Ham's relegation in 2003, a move to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2004 soon followed, where Defoe played for four years before being sold to Portsmouth in January 2008. He spent one season at Fratton Park before returning to Tottenham in the January 2009 transfer window. He left for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2014, before returning to England in January 2015 to sign for Sunderland.

In April 2011, Defoe became the 20th player to score a century of Premier League goals, and is currently the seventh-highest goalscorer in Premier League history.2 He became the fifth highest goalscorer in Tottenham's history in September 2013,3 and the club's highest goalscorer in European competitions in November 2013.4 Defoe also holds the Premier League record for the most goals scored as a substitute, with 22, as of 11 January 2014.5 On 19 November 2016, Defoe scored his 150th Premier League goal, becoming the joint tenth-highest goal scorer in Premier League history.6