Euro 2012: England Striker Jermain Defoe Leaves Team After Father Passes Away

Jermain Defoe has reportedly returned to London today after his father tragically passed away from a battle with throat cancer in the night.

The Daily Mail found that the striker was granted permission from the national team to immediately leave Poland to be with family and friends during this terrible time.

Defoe’s father, Jimmy, was 47 years old and had been fighting the disease for “some time” according to the Mail’s source. England manager Roy Hodgson was made aware of the situation prior to the 2012 European Championship and is being understandably accommodating to the Tottenham star. He felt it was right to send him back to bereave.

The Daily Mail reported that this is not the first major tragedy to hit close to home for the football star. Back in 2009, his half-brother was murdered in an east London attack and his grandmother passed away during the funeral service.

In a statement, the Football Association stated that Jermain would rejoin the side in “due course” and that no replacement player would be brought in during his absence.

England opens Euro 2012 against France on Monday and sources say that Defoe will likely miss at least two days of training leading up to the match. Hodgson has said he will give the forward as much time as he needs to process this awful news.

Even if the striker returns from London before the contest, it is certainly possible that he will not see the pitch. He was likely to play a reserve role in the first game, even before the news struck the team.