England striker says his traumatic retirement was “forced” into an undesirable gig with Rangers.

Jermain Defoe says he was “forced” into a player/coach role at Rangers prior to Giovanni van Bronckhorst authorizing his pre-

retirement departure to Sunderland.Between January 2019 and December 2022, the now-41-year-old English striker spent three years

at Rangers and made a significant impact on the team.Jermain Defoe, who was first signed by Steven Gerrard on loan, played a crucial

part in the side that won 55 games and captured the hearts of Rangers supporters.During his conversation on quitting the world of

soccer, the former striker for West Ham, Tottenham, and Portsmouth asserts that he felt compelled to take on a coaching position at

Ibrox.

Jermain Defoe was “forced” to join the Rangers.

Speaking on the Football Firsts podcast (beginning at 5:05), Jermain Defoe, the former striker, and Troy Deeney co-host the show.

They had been talking about his departure from the Rangers.

In January 2022, Defoe would leave Rangers for Sunderland in an attempt to play one more game before turning to coaching at Ibrox.

Jermain Defoe, who was given a player/coach role for the 21–22 season, says he didn’t really want to go down this path with the

Rangers.

Following manager Steven Gerrard’s departure to Aston Villa, Defoe spoke with Giovanni van Bronckhorst before deciding to join the

Black Cats. “I hadn’t played in about two or three months before I went to Sunderland,” Defoe stated. Following Stevie Gerrard’s

departure, Giovanni van Bronckhorst entered. During our meeting, he essentially asked me, “Listen, what’s this player/coach thing?”

“I saw you were sharp in training. Could you tell me what’s going on? Are you more interested in coaching than in playing?

“I want to play, I said. To tell the truth, I had no desire to be a coach or player at all. I was made to do it. Thus, I chose to travel to

Sunderland.

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