It’s heartbreaking: A very loyal Sunderland player has announced his sudden retirement, sending a powerful statement and bidding the team and supporters a heartfelt farewell.
Less than two months after signing with Sunderland, Jermain Defoe announced his immediate retirement from football, speeding up the departure of former Black Cats manager Lee Johnson.
Johnson was fired by Sunderland in January for a variety of reasons, chief among them being a 6-0 loss to Bolton Wanderers on the road. But the real source of tension behind the scenes had been the desire from those in positions of authority at the Stadium of Light to have Defoe resign.
Johnson’s presidency was not going well, but it was also not disastrous. Sunderland was third in League One and in contention for automatic promotion on January 30, the day of his dismissal—24 hours after the Bolton loss and 24 hours before Defoe’s unveiling.
The Black Cats are currently in sixth place in the standings, 12 points behind second-place Wigan, who have played two fewer games than Defoe, who announced his retirement from football in an emotional statement the same day. Defoe made seven appearances for the team without scoring a goal.
Although Johnson had maintained his diplomatic demeanor in public, he harbored strong doubts about acquiring a 39-year-old striker who had played a mere nine minutes of football for Glasgow Rangers that season. Johnson was hesitant to add a highly sought-after player—who had excelled for Sunderland in the Premier League until his departure in 2017—because he would have to make room in the lineup or defend his exclusion from the team on a regular basis.
Although he desired to take a different course, the club was enamored with the notion of bringing back a fan favorite and letting their emotions take control. Ignored relationships reached a breaking point and completely broke down under Bolton’s thrashing, which left Johnson disillusioned.
Age had finally caught up with one of the most resilient players of the previous 20 years, but it’s not Defoe’s fault; he believed he could still play at that level. Johnson was right to be hesitant to approve the transfer because he thought that would be the case.
“This is a special move for me for many reasons,” Defoe remarked upon his return to Wearside in February. “I can’t stop smiling.”
“I’ve received a lot of messages that say, ‘Remember when you said you would come back?’ But I didn’t feel prepared to go when I said I would one day. I feel a unique connection to the supporters here, and the team is in a great position to advance. I’m eager to take part in more memorable occasions here, and I want to.”
“We all know how highly regarded Jermain is among our fan base and within the wider community,” exclaimed Kristjaan Speakman, the sporting director of Sunderland. We are confident that he can make a good impact both on and off the field, and he is back at a pivotal point in our season. Jermain has an exceptional mindset and an infectious personality.
He did indeed have an elite mindset. However, Sunderland is not the same team as it was during his Premier League tenure under Sam Allardyce and David Moyes. He was not the same player at all.
