Jermain Defoe named Woking manager in first senior role | OneFootball

Jermain Defoe has taken his first senior managerial job with National League side Woking. The former England and Tottenham striker is 43.

Woking sit 11th in the division, the first tier below the English Football League, and his first match will be a home game against Eastleigh on Good Friday. Chairman Todd Johnson said Defoe’s vision, standards and approach to leadership and player development impressed the board, and that he fits the club’s plan to build on strong foundations.

The club dismissed Neal Ardley on 1 March after a poor run that took them out of play-off contention and included defeat in the FA Trophy quarter-final. Interim coaches Craig Ross, Jake Hyde and Dale Gorman will oversee Tuesday night’s fixture against Altrincham.

Defoe has worked in Tottenham’s academy and served as a player-coach at Rangers. He will be assisted by Paul Bracewell, a league title winner with Everton in 1985, with Ross and Hyde set to remain on his staff.

As a player, Defoe won 57 England caps and scored 20 goals, featuring at the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship. He is 10th on the Premier League’s all-time scorers list with 162 goals from 496 appearances for West Ham, Spurs, Portsmouth and Sunderland.

Source: NY Times