Sunderland ace has revealed that Harry Redknapp was once so intent on signing him that he was willing to sign him even if he did not pass a medical.
The striker has had arguably the most memorable spells under the management of Redknapp whom he played under at West Ham, Tottenham and Portsmouth.
It’s certainly not surprising considering the close bond shared by the two. Redknapp’s love for Defoe’s playing style is certainly reflected in the fact that the two worked together at three different clubs.
“He always used to phone me and say ‘JD, just come and score goals, you don’t need to do a medical, just come and score,'” Defoe revealed in the new FourFourTwo Films documentary: The Art of Goalscoring, “I love him… I still message him now.”
Redknapp also confirmed that during contract negotiations prior to Defoe’s Pourtsmouth spell, he jokingly dismissed his demand of goal bonuses.
