Jermain Defoe accepts Woking job and calls it a gamble | OneFootball

Jermain Defoe has been unveiled as Woking’s new manager and acknowledged the move is a gamble as he begins his senior managerial career.

According to Sunderland Echo, the 43-year-old replaces Neal Ardley at the Laithwaite Community Stadium and takes over a side sitting 10th, 11 points off the play-offs with six matches left.

He said management at any level carries risk, and stressed the need to stay positive and back yourself. “I believe with this group of players that we’ll be successful for sure.”

Defoe’s coaching résumé includes an interim stint on Rangers’ staff in 2021 and a role in Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, which he left in 2024 to pursue full-time management.

He added that a decorated playing career guarantees nothing, saying he has completed his courses, put in the hours and now intends to enjoy the opportunity.

While promotion may be beyond them this season, his broader aim is to take Woking into the Football League for the first time in their 139-year history.

Across 763 senior club appearances he scored 305 goals, and he netted 20 times in 57 caps for England.

Source: Sunderland Echo