Jermain Defoe, a former Rangers star, revealed the private discussions he had about a possible return to the club last year and stated that he would love to visit Ibrox again.
During his three seasons at Govan, the former Ibrox striker scored 32 goals for the team and was a member of the final Rangers team to win the Scottish Premiership in 2021. In January 2022, he left the team to rejoin Sunderland, and he retired soon after. He acknowledges that it has been difficult to watch his old team suffer since leaving.
Defoe stated, “I think it’s clear that something needs to change.” “The players must attempt to regain their form. The athletes must establish a level of consistency. You can make a mistake if you don’t approach the game with the proper mindset, as was the case last season. There are games up there that people expect them to win. When you consider the Rangers’ losses from the previous season, you would think they would win those games handily.
“If you ask any Rangers supporters or former players, it’s been difficult to watch, to be completely honest. When I was the player-coach, we won the league, and the boys almost won the Europa League after I departed. After looking at it, I assumed that if they retained the core group of talented young players and experience and added a few more, they would start the following season. However, it has truly gone the opposite way, and it has been difficult to observe.
The 42-year-old Defoe most recently served as Tottenham Hotspur’s under-18 coach, working under former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou. After leaving the North London team in July, Defoe is eager to advance in his coaching career and acknowledges that he would love to rejoin Rangers if given the chance.
“I make an effort to watch every game. “I visit Glasgow frequently and talk to some of the boys,” the former England player stated. Rangers is such a great club, and I really feel like I have a unique bond with the supporters, so if I ever got the chance to return, it would be an easy choice. I spent a lot of time discussing coaching with Michael Beale and Steven Gerrard, particularly during the lockdown when we were not playing.
“There is no assurance that you will be a competent coach, even if you have played at the highest level for twenty or more years. You must complete the classes and gain as much knowledge as you can. I’m really happy that I participated in Tottenham’s academy because I learnt a lot about things I was unaware of. Rangers was where I began earning my coaching badges, and Tottenham was where I finished my A-license.
In an interview with Gambling.com, he added: “I’ve talked to clubs a lot. In fact, I spoke with Rangers last year and expressed my desire to return to the football team in some capacity.
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