Defoe - Mirror article & ITV tonight - 'came through West Ham youth system'

micks1950

I've just received the following reply from Mirror journalist Neil McLeman regarding his article today (& ITV documentary tonight) where Defoe claims he 'came through the West Ham youth system':

From: Neil McLeman
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2013 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: Mirror article - Jermain Defoe - West Ham youth system (correction)

You are right - our apologies. The Charlton section in the piece qualifying Defoe's quote was taken out (by me). The documentary tonight shows the reception he got on the return to the Valley without the need of wikipedia!
I will send the correction to the For The Record section on page 2.
Regards
Neil


Neil McLeman
Sports Writer
Daily Mirror
London
Twitter: @NeilMcLeman
The Daily Mirror App FREE on iPad

In your Mirror article today you quote Jermain Defoe as claiming:

"We're talking about leaving the club (West Ham) I was in love with because I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved me there. They were brilliant. Every game they sang my name."

However, from the point of view of accuracy (which I'm sure as a journalist you're concerned with) he 'came through the youth system' at Charlton Athletic not West Ham, but then left Charlton for West Ham in acrimonious circumstances - as briefly described on this Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jermain_Defoe

"Defoe was spotted playing football by Charlton Athletic who enrolled him at the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall Hall in 1997. Two years later, he took the controversial decision, aged 16, to turn professional with West Ham United, following which Charlton were subsequently awarded a compensation package rising to £1.4 million depending on Premiership and international appearances".

Friend Or Defoe

If anyone's wondering, it's on ITV4 at 10pm.

PragueAddick

Fair play to the journo for promptly admitting his mistake. More than Kelvin McNobhead has ever managed to do for the people of Liverpool.

JiMMy 85

On the one hand I respect the way he's dealt with some serious traumas and his ability to create a yard and shoot. On the other hand, he's a little rat.

(*Bit harsh to post the journos mobile number on an internet forum)

micks1950

JiMMy 85 said:

On the one hand I respect the way he's dealt with some serious traumas and his ability to create a yard and shoot. On the other hand, he's a little rat.

(*Bit harsh to post the journos mobile number on an internet forum)

Not deliberate - didn't notice it - I just just did a quick 'cut & paste' from the email - removed now.

TelMc32

He's angling for a move back and is licking the proverbial. He's not getting a game (apart from a few cup appearances) at Spurs and the Hamsters are desparate for a striker while Carroll is long-term "injured"!

soapy_jones

Greedy little fucker!

Good footballer though...

kentaddick

imagine a team with him, parker and rufus... eugh.

[Deleted User]

Quick explanation from him over what happened.

credit to jermaine what he said sounds plausible. Redknapps the tossa in this story. Can u blame him for wanting to train with his boyhood hero?

i think he is coming across very well.

What happened to us was gutting but was it really the fault of the 16 year old? He always gets slated but is it really deserved.

Addickted

PragueAddick said:

More than Kelvin McNobhead has ever managed to do for the people of Liverpool.

What the hell has that got to do with Defoe/Charlton youth system ?

PL54

He's a good footballer, a crap individual and has the integrity of a fox

Comes across as a right knob to me

PragueAddick

Addickted said:

PragueAddick said:

More than Kelvin McNobhead has ever managed to do for the people of Liverpool.

What the hell has that got to do with Defoe/Charlton youth system ?

Nothing. I was discussing the journalist's decent response to this and many other CAFC fans' complaints about his work. Which, you may note, was the main concern of the person who started this thread.

seriously_red

PL54 said:

He's a good footballer, a crap individual and has the integrity of a fox
Comes across as a right knob to me

So we sign him in January?

PL54

Harry - "I've made him a fortune through signing him, I just hope he's grateful"

PragueAddick

PL54 said:

Harry - "I've made him a fortune through signing him, I just hope he's grateful"

PL54 said:

Harry - "I've made him a fortune through signing him, I just hope he's grateful"

I'm sure his Mum is grateful, Harry.

Dave2l

Thought he came across alrite though they wernt exactly gana stitch him up.

He left Charlton when he was 16...under annoying and disrespectful circumstances yes, but by now, really who cares?

He's a great goal scorer which they did over elaborate but we only don't like him because he's a good player. If Harry (a cnut) knicked a Chris Dickson off us we would need reminding over what happened and who he was, would be laughable.

Really hope we get a result at QPR for more then just the points! Would be quality.

oohaahmortimer

a mate was telling me ,who was reading Redknapps book, that Harry nicked our scout someone called Hampson or something and he knew he'd come cos he had a west ham tatt and he brought some top players in to em zzzzzz slags

Airman Brown

Hampson was part of a strong East London contingent at the club in that era. They brought in some local talent from over the river, but it was no secret he was West Ham.

BowieAddick

Wanted him to come across as an arrogant pr*ck and to hate him but have to be honest I thought he came across well. Looking back his explanation for leaving made sense to him and his family, we as fans are never going to look at it the same way as we have the emotional investment in the club that most players don't.
Having said that I will still boo him and call him Judas if he was to play against us at The Valley and as per normal he will probably score

Rizzo

Friend of mine is a photographer and she was covering some charity function where Defoe was the guest. He turned up late. (Bet you're all thinking this is going to be slagging him off now).

But he was incredibly apologetic about it, helped out with various things, stayed on after the function to sign more stuff and was rated by my friend as one of the nicest celebs she'd ever met.

I was absolutely gutted when she told me that as I've always hated him and now it's a little bit harder.

AFKABartram

Rizzo said:

rated by my friend as one of the nicest celebs she'd ever met.

Let me guess Rizzo, you friend is attractive.

Rizzo

AFKABartram said:

Rizzo said:

rated by my friend as one of the nicest celebs she'd ever met.

Let me guess Rizzo, you friend is attractive.

I wouldn't kick her out but she was only the photographer. Defoe was being nice to pretty much everyone and I doubt they were all lookers.

[Deleted User]

Rizzo said:

Friend of mine is a photographer and she was covering some charity function where Defoe was the guest. He turned up late. (Bet you're all thinking this is going to be slagging him off now).

But he was incredibly apologetic about it, helped out with various things, stayed on after the function to sign more stuff and was rated by my friend as one of the nicest celebs she'd ever met.

I was absolutely gutted when she told me that as I've always hated him and now it's a little bit harder.

my mate (ex-thomas tallis) moses is one of JD`s best mates and ive been out with them twice in the early 2000s. he was nothing but politeness and i did jokingly say that he should stop scoring against us. one night i remember in paricularly JD was out with Collins John (ex-fulham), what an absolute plonka Collins was. so ive always had a good opinion of JD as a person.

its nice to see the passage of time allows us to form more balanced opinions.

id like to see him get a move away from Spurs because i still think for England he is the best natural finisher we`ve got and is another option. programme reminded me he never let us down at the WC. and at least he was 100% committed for England.

nice to see a footballer who still absolutely loves the game.

Chris_from_Sidcup

calydon_road said:

Quick explanation from him over what happened.

credit to jermaine what he said sounds plausible. Redknapps the tossa in this story. Can u blame him for wanting to train with his boyhood hero?

i think he is coming across very well.

What happened to us was gutting but was it really the fault of the 16 year old? He always gets slated but is it really deserved.

Didn't see it. What was his explanation?

PL54

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

calydon_road said:

Quick explanation from him over what happened.

credit to jermaine what he said sounds plausible. Redknapps the tossa in this story. Can u blame him for wanting to train with his boyhood hero?

i think he is coming across very well.

What happened to us was gutting but was it really the fault of the 16 year old? He always gets slated but is it really deserved.

Didn't see it. What was his explanation?

It was too long a drive through the Blackwall tunnel

MountsfieldPark

calydon_road said:

nice to see a footballer who still absolutely loves the game.

Defoe? He's certainly been very well paid to watch a lot of football over the last 5 or 6 years.

randy andy

Defoe has two problems, 1) He doesn't really fit into the mould of any typical striker type, he's not really a 6 yard box player, a target man, a channel runner, etc. and 2) He hits the keeper far too often. Spurs stats over the last half dozen seasons will bear this out. As a team, and their strikers in particular, they have a poor shots-on-target to goals ratio. This is what has held Spurs back from being regular CL football, they create enough chances, they hit the target enough, but they don't score enough goals.

JohnnyJoeyDeeDee

randy andy said:

Defoe has two problems, 1) He doesn't really fit into the mould of any typical striker type, he's not really a 6 yard box player, a target man, a channel runner, etc. and 2) He hits the keeper far too often. Spurs stats over the last half dozen seasons will bear this out. As a team, and their strikers in particular, they have a poor shots-on-target to goals ratio. This is what has held Spurs back from being regular CL football, they create enough chances, they hit the target enough, but they don't score enough goals.

Agree with this. If you look at goals, shots on target, goals to shots ratios and particularly the fact that he's scored most of his goals against 'lower' premiership teams (particularly us) and look at the same stats for Darren Bent 'England's top predator' is a non-contest, Darren wins on nearly every count

[Deleted User]

MountsfieldPark said:

calydon_road said:

nice to see a footballer who still absolutely loves the game.

Defoe? He's certainly been very well paid to watch a lot of football over the last 5 or 6 years.

nice. 40 games a season not playing then no? call him a mug, say what u like but thats just not accurate. this season he hasnt played much. last 4-5 he cetainly has.

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

calydon_road said:

Quick explanation from him over what happened.

credit to jermaine what he said sounds plausible. Redknapps the tossa in this story. Can u blame him for wanting to train with his boyhood hero?

i think he is coming across very well.

What happened to us was gutting but was it really the fault of the 16 year old? He always gets slated but is it really deserved.

Didn't see it. What was his explanation?

basically that it enabled him to go training 10 mins from his house, dropped the burden on his mum (they seem extremely close and she was obviously a major reason for his success), and most importantly for him, he could train with his idol Ian Wright.

find that all reasonable and plausible.

there was also a strong strong hint from JD (very subtle) that he received some considerable money at the time.

u cannot blame a lad for looking after his family at that age. obv that they had very little before he made it.

harry was involved so that also sounds plausible. anything dodgy, harry`s in.

ValleyGary

But when Defoe gets on for England i always rate him to score. Never had that feeling with Bent.

JohnBoyUK

randy andy said:

Defoe has two problems, 1) He doesn't really fit into the mould of any typical striker type, he's not really a 6 yard box player, a target man, a channel runner, etc. and 2) He hits the keeper far too often. Spurs stats over the last half dozen seasons will bear this out. As a team, and their strikers in particular, they have a poor shots-on-target to goals ratio. This is what has held Spurs back from being regular CL football, they create enough chances, they hit the target enough, but they don't score enough goals.

No change this season either. Most shots on target in the Premiership = only 9 goals in 10 PL games. Soldado will be prolific if he is given service. He has buried every chance he has been given in open play. We just dont give him the ball enough.