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Defoe Retires
            
                
                    robroy                
                
                    Posts: 4,454                
            
                        
            
                    Retired leaving 7 games of the season left, bullet dodged. 
                    They only have 1 striker. 
                7      
            Comments
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            Was always a PR signing.1
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            Fantastic player. Great career and should have had more England caps.
Massive respect for his friendship with that young Sunderland lad.10 - 
            Any sign of him taking up a coaching role @ Sunderland?0
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            always hated him over deserting us but what a fantastic career. Brilliant goal scorer9
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            Interesting why he decided to retire now and not wait until end of the season. Especially because still has the opportunity to win promotion at Wembley.0
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            Never understood the hate for a 16 year old who never played for us and probably didn't have much say in the matter
Used to be in the top 10 highest transfer fees we received for a player ?7 - 
            It was obvious that it was more a PR stunt him signing for the Mackems. I would have been intrigued had we signed him, but clearly we dodged a bullet.
It is slightly galling that he never played a first team game for us and we are written out of his biography especially as for much of his early career we were in the Prem.0 - 
            
He only joined us when he was 14 too! The disdain & “Judas” stuff has always been a bit ridiculous but I guess it’s just disappointment at what we missed out on.MrOneLung said:Never understood the hate for a 16 year old who never played for us and probably didn't have much say in the matter
Used to be in the top 10 highest transfer fees we received for a player ?1 - 
            I checked on wiki and he joined us in 1997 and left in 1999
“ Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997.”
The way our fans cry (I would have been one of them) I thought he’d been with us for 5-6 years in the academy .
6 - 
            Probably the best natural finisher since Fowler in the Premier League. Terrific career.
What could have been.1 - 
Sponsored links:
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            Seems strange to announce it when there's only a few weeks left of the season and potentially a last hurrah at Wembley for him.
Ironic that Lee Johnson was right after all, rumours at the time were that he didn't want to sign Defoe because he felt he was finished, and that it was one of the factors in his sacking.2 - 
            Surely he'll finish the season and this is just a announcement, or is it immediate?0
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I doubt those same fans bemoan our lack of loyalty to Tamer Tuna (remember him?!) and the dozens of players that we cast off every year for not making the grade. People who expect “loyalty” in football often really only want it to be a one way street.oohaahmortimer said:I checked on wiki and he joined us in 1997 and left in 1999
“ Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997.”
The way our fans cry (I would have been one of them) I thought he’d been with us for 5-6 years in the academy .7 - 
            
I think it's fine to feel that way, I feel the same, and all these people who support the lack of loyalty in football have been given the modern game they deserve!AFKABartram said:always hated him over deserting us but what a fantastic career. Brilliant goal scorer
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Yeah. Probably same people who want Jackson sacked after a bad run of 7 games despite 12 years of legendary service.se9addick said:
I doubt those same fans bemoan our lack of loyalty to Tamer Tuna (remember him?!) and the dozens of players that we cast off every year for not making the grade. People who expect “loyalty” in football often really only want it to be a one way street.oohaahmortimer said:I checked on wiki and he joined us in 1997 and left in 1999
“ Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997.”
The way our fans cry (I would have been one of them) I thought he’d been with us for 5-6 years in the academy .
Football fans have no loyalty on the whole.2 - 
            
Lack of loyalty? At least Tuna got first team opportunities. Seeing as he no longer plays, it seems he wasn't good enough or maybe not determined enough anyway.se9addick said:
I doubt those same fans bemoan our lack of loyalty to Tamer Tuna (remember him?!) and the dozens of players that we cast off every year for not making the grade. People who expect “loyalty” in football often really only want it to be a one way street.oohaahmortimer said:I checked on wiki and he joined us in 1997 and left in 1999
“ Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997.”
The way our fans cry (I would have been one of them) I thought he’d been with us for 5-6 years in the academy .1 - 
            
This point pops up a lot.se9addick said:
I doubt those same fans bemoan our lack of loyalty to Tamer Tuna (remember him?!) and the dozens of players that we cast off every year for not making the grade. People who expect “loyalty” in football often really only want it to be a one way street.oohaahmortimer said:I checked on wiki and he joined us in 1997 and left in 1999
“ Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997.”
The way our fans cry (I would have been one of them) I thought he’d been with us for 5-6 years in the academy .
Youth players at Charlton are given one of the best football and (personal) educations in the country under the tutelage of Steve Avory.
It wouldn't do them any good to keep them at the club if they are not going to play or make the level. They have to be allowed to leave so they can find their level and make their careers.
And if they're not going to make it as a footballer full stop, then they have to be allowed to leave so they can decide what else to do with their lives.
Many players leave and go on to make very good livings as footballers. Those that don't will hopefully have invested in their educations and options outside of football, as the club constantly tell them to do.
It wouldn't be 'loyal' to keep any of these people at the club, in either case letting them go is the right thing as it gives them the opportunity to either play football or move on and do something else with their lives.9 - 
            No comment.13
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            BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo0
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Great quick summary, my views also.AFKABartram said:always hated him over deserting us but what a fantastic career. Brilliant goal scorer0 - 
Sponsored links:
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Codger Jermaine Defoe
Codger Jermaine Defoe
Codger Jermaine Defoe
Codger Jermaine Defoe
Codger Jermaine Defoe
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            It’s the answer to the difference between a baker and a knight
1 farts in the dough, the other darts in Defoe0 - 
            
Sorry to piss on everyone’s chips but he hasn’t retired. A source, says The Sun, tells them that he’s using the international break to consider his future and may decide to retire. So a non story really.robroy said:Retired leaving 7 games of the season left, bullet dodged.They only have 1 striker.0 - 
            He's still a w@nker1
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            A truly brilliant striker. A great role model and attributes all his success to his Christian faith.7
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            I was interested in learning more about Defoe’s religious beliefs. Surprised to see the below as the first result from Googling “Jermain Defoe Christian”. Also found out as well as being Catholic he became vegan and teetotal, presumably things he also sees as contributing to his success.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jermain-defoe-claims-hes-christian-8763142
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Buried in the depths of the latest VOTV is an interview with Steve Avory in which he talks about the care and support made available to youngsters before and after their release from the academy setup. At least on a personal level, there seems to be plenty of "loyalty" to our former youth players.Chunes said:
This point pops up a lot.se9addick said:
I doubt those same fans bemoan our lack of loyalty to Tamer Tuna (remember him?!) and the dozens of players that we cast off every year for not making the grade. People who expect “loyalty” in football often really only want it to be a one way street.oohaahmortimer said:I checked on wiki and he joined us in 1997 and left in 1999
“ Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997.”
The way our fans cry (I would have been one of them) I thought he’d been with us for 5-6 years in the academy .
Youth players at Charlton are given one of the best football and (personal) educations in the country under the tutelage of Steve Avory.
It wouldn't do them any good to keep them at the club if they are not going to play or make the level. They have to be allowed to leave so they can find their level and make their careers.
And if they're not going to make it as a footballer full stop, then they have to be allowed to leave so they can decide what else to do with their lives.
Many players leave and go on to make very good livings as footballers. Those that don't will hopefully have invested in their educations and options outside of football, as the club constantly tell them to do.
It wouldn't be 'loyal' to keep any of these people at the club, in either case letting them go is the right thing as it gives them the opportunity to either play football or move on and do something else with their lives.4 - 
            
Fixed that for you.SouthWest_Addicks said:Interesting why he decided to retire now and not wait until end of the season. Especially because still has the opportunity for a day out at Wembley.0 











