Jermain Defoe's Quotes

I am a bit of a control freak. If I get married, my wife isn't going out. No way. She's staying at home. She's not going out to clubs without me. I've already decided the rules, whoever she is.

I don't feel like I'm getting older. I think it's the way I've looked after myself. I take my football seriously. I love scoring goals and I get a good feeling from it, so I'll do whatever it takes to be fit and feel good in games.

I don't go out drinking and stuff like that. My friends say 'Just have one drink, JD.' I say 'What's the point?' I'll go to a club and have a Red Bull, get my buzz. And the next day I feel cool. It's discipline, not just with drinking but a lot of things in life. You've just got to look at the bigger picture.

I don't think I could ever describe myself as unlucky because people would look at me, playing football for a living, and say: 'Are you winding me up?'

I had to tell Dad, 'It will be okay and be positive; keep praying and have faith'. I have always known about cancer, but to be around someone who has it and to see what it does in such a short space of time was hard. It makes you think about your life, about what is important.

I knew I could play really well in one game, score the winning goal and then, come the next game, I wouldn't play at all or I might come off the bench for the last five minutes. So I was frustrated towards the end of my time at Spurs. I wasn't happy.

I pray every day. In the mornings and, before I go to bed. I think it's important to pray not just when things are going bad. When things are going bad, it's easy to pray and ask God to help you out, but it's also important to pray when things are going well and show your appreciation.

I still bump into Spurs fans who say: 'Why did you have to go?' I say back: 'What more could I have done?' I talk to them and I think they appreciate I had good reasons.

I want to again highlight the desperate need for us to pull together - the world over - to tackle knife crime and teach everyone how sacred a life is.

If I ever score against Spurs, I won't celebrate. Even if it's the best goal in the world, I'll keep it subdued. It's a respect thing. The fans were brilliant towards me; I'll be playing against my friends and I can't forget that.

If you have an argument with someone and you sulk, sometimes you don't want to speak to them. But it is important to keep your friends close to you and do the right things.

It was easy to get wrapped up in some of the negative stuff, but obviously I chose not to. I didn't want to get in trouble and end up in prison where I can't play football. It was as simple as that.

People know what they're getting with me. It's part and parcel of football that people want to see new faces, but all I can do is play games, score goals and prove I can do it. My record is there for everyone to see.

The key for me is movement. When the ball comes into the box, or when the wide players get it, that's where I have to be clever and make my runs. That's where I come alive.

To win a major tournament you have to face the top teams at some point, but if you avoid those at the beginning then you can win games and build confidence. I think the key is just to get off to a good start.

When I get up in the morning, I look forward to the games and I'm just buzzing. At the end of the day, if you are nervous or scared before games, you are not going to perform. I just go out there and think, 'If I get a chance, I'm going to score' and that's it.

When you are young, nothing is more important than football, but as you get older, you get married, have kids and lose people. Then you realise your family is more important. This comes with age.

I am doing my job and trying to win a game for my team. I shouldn't be getting racially abused; it's silly.

I don't do chat-up lines. Girls often tell me I'm cheeky. Being cheeky seems to work OK for me.

I don't know about anyone else, but if I had problems or issues, maybe I wouldn't feel as comfortable talking about them in a group.

I feel 21. I've looked after myself and take my football seriously.

I just get up in the morning and say: 'Yeah man, I'm ready to score goals.'

I love scoring - even in training.