England international Jermain Defoe ‘thrilled’ to take charge of Woking

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Woking confirmed the appointment of Jermain Defoe as their new manager on Sunday, with the former England and Tottenham Hotspur striker saying he is “thrilled” to begin a new chapter of his career in the dugout.

The National League club announced his arrival last night following an extensive recruitment process, with Defoe identified as the standout candidate to lead their long-term vision.

The 43-year-old enjoyed a prolific playing career, making 363 appearances for Tottenham and also featuring for West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Rangers and Toronto.

He retired in 2022 with 305 goals in 763 senior appearances, alongside 20 goals in 57 caps for his national side, and now embarks on his first venture into management.

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Huge potential

After hanging up his boots, Defoe moved into coaching within Spurs’ academy setup, having previously taken on a player-coach role at Rangers under Steven Gerrard during the latter stages of his playing career.

He also formed part of the four-man caretaker team at Ibrox following Gerrard’s departure to Aston Villa.

In his first words as Woking boss, he said: “Woking is a historic club with huge potential, and I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting project. I can’t wait to get started.”

Club chairman Todd Johnson added: “Jermain’s achievements as a player speak for themselves, but what stood out to us during the process was how he sees the game, how he drives standards, and his approach to leadership and player development.

“We have a clear plan for where we want to go as a club, and we believe Jermain is the right person to build on the strong foundations already in place and help take us forward in the next phase of that journey.”

Upturn in form

The club parted company with Neal Ardley at the start of March following what it described as a “decline in performances”, a run which saw the Cardinals fall away from the play-off race and exit the Isuzu FA Trophy at the quarter-final stage.

Since then, interim head coach Craig Ross has overseen four wins, three draws and just one defeat from eight games in charge.

That upturn in form has lifted Woking back into the top half of the table, although they remain nine points adrift of the play-off places.

With Defoe now at the helm, the club hopes he can help them finish the season in style and director of football Jody Brown heaped further praise for the new man in charge.

Determination

“Jermain’s love of the game, his determination to succeed and his alignment with our preferred playing philosophy were important,” he said.

“These are shared values in terms of the working environment, player development, and high-performance culture.

“He has a real appreciation for the club, the staff, the players, and what we’re building here.”

Defoe will be supported by another former England international in Paul Bracewell.

Bracewell enjoyed a distinguished playing career spanning two decades, with the former Sunderland, Newcastle United, Everton, Fulham and Stoke City midfielder joining the club as assistant manager.

He brings a wealth of experience from various coaching roles.

The club have also confirmed that Ross and Jake Hyde will continue to play important roles within the coaching structure moving forward.

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