Jermain Defoe hoping Premier League return catches Hodgson’s eye
SUNDERLAND striker Jermain Defoe believes scoring the goals to fire his new side to Premier League safety will ignite his burning ambition to earn an England recall.
The former West Ham, Tottenham and Portsmouth forward was overlooked for last year’s World Cup in Brazil after moving to Major League Soccer side Toronto, but returned to English football last week following an 11-month hiatus.
Defoe failed to maintain his record of netting on each of his club debuts as the Blacks Cats suffered a 2-1 defeat at old employers Spurs at White Hart Lane on Saturday, and insists goals are the only commodity that will grab the attention of England boss Roy Hodgson.
“I would like to represent my country again,’ he said. “It is the best thing in the world, playing for your country and putting that shirt on.
“To play for your country, it’s based on merit, so if I am scoring goals, I would like to think I would get an opportunity to do that again.”
The 32-year-old has 55 caps and 19 goals to his name for England but has not featured for the national side since 15 November 2013, when Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Chile dispatched an experimental Three Lions side at Wembley.