EPL: In Form Defoe to Sit Out White Hart Return

Christiano Ronaldo?  

No.  

Fernando Torres?  

No.

Adebayor, Keane or Benjani?  

No. Keep going down the Premier League’s leading goal scorer list. 

Berbatov? Santa Cruz? Yakubu? Tevez?

No, no, no and no.

Nicolas Anelka? Jermaine Defoe? Steven Gerrard? 

Stop. Go back one.

Defoe?  

Yes, that’s the one. 

With most focused on the Ronaldo and Torres’ goal race, Super Sunday’s big match-ups, the EPL title race, and the CL quarter-finals right around the corner, Portsmouth’s Jermaine Defoe is doing quite well for himself, and few may be noticing. He sits casually at number 11 on the Premier League’s leading scorers list with ten goals.

Today Defoe was jettisoned into the spotlight when it was announced that he will have to sit out in his return to White Hart Lane. Defoe was signed on the last day of the transfer window on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

The deal was made permanent shortly after. Evidently, when a player is signed on loan, then permanently moves to the club, he cannot play against the club he left during that same season. At the time, Portsmouth thought the rule only applied to goalies. 

It is too bad for the in-form Defoe, pictured above as a Spur, and for Portsmouth, who will have to face Tottenham this Saturday without him. Since the departure of Benjani Mwaruwari to Manchester City earlier this year, Defoe has scored six times in his last six EPL matches. Two of the goals came off penalty shots.

While it is disappointing for the striker, he still has plenty to look forward to. Defoe was just named as a striker for England in the friendly against France next week. Portsmouth sits comfortably in the UEFA Cup qualification race in the EPL. And April 5th, Pompey match up again West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup semi-finals.