Spoken like a true mate!
When former England striker Jermain Defoe was appointed manager of non-league Woking at the end of March, more than a few eyebrows were raised.
Defoe, who scored 305 goals in 763 senior appearances and 20 goals in 57 England caps, retired from football in 2022.
The 43-year-old worked in the Tottenham academy for a two years and earned his UEFA A-licence, leaving in 2024 to pursue a full-time head coach role.
Woking sit 11th in the National League, one league below League Two, and have drawn their first two games under Defoe.
But Glen Johnson, his former team-mate with West Ham, Portsmouth and England, reacted hilariously to the idea of Defoe being a head coach, having known him well in his playing days.
Johnson, speaking to CasinoWizard, said: “Ha! Having played with him I would have said no chance would he want to be a manager.
“But obviously by doing his coaching badges and clearly loving what he’s doing he’s forged a new pathway for himself.
“Players mature as they go through their careers and again into their non-playing days. But it was a bit of a shock having known him and played with him in his playing days.
“But I think it’s great obviously he loves football and obviously feels like he can do a job and improve what he’s walking into.
“It’s a great place to start earning his stripes and learning the game because obviously the coaching side of things and managing is totally different to playing.
“So I think it’s a great way to start, it’s great that he’s starting lower down the pyramid but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with its own pressures but being slightly lower key is great for his development.”
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