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Ex-England and Tottenham star close to tears after Aribo’s kind gestures

The 25-year-old, who is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles, has been commended for his good behaviour 

Ex-England international Jermain Defoe has lauded Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo for the Nigerian’s kind gestures towards him during his time at Ibrox.

Defoe is currently without a club after leaving Rangers at the beginning of the year. The 39-year-old made a name for himself while playing for Tottenham, where he scored 143 goals in 362 appearances

He also had spells at West Ham, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Toronto FC, and Bournemouth before joining the Gers in 2020.

While at Rangers, the former England star scored two goals in eleven appearances to help the Gers secure the Scottish Premiership last season.

And speaking on his time at Rangers, the 39-year-old revealed he had a lot of memories, but he stated that his time with Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo, and his Rangers teammate Glen Kamara were the best.

“My teammates… ah mate, I’m getting emotional. The boys are unbelievable. You know what it’s like, you sign for a club and obviously, I came with a big reputation.” Defoe told talkSports 

“All I wanted to do was go there and win. I was so desperate to win a league title. The boys were brilliant, I walked in and they were just brilliant from day one. My teammates were just special, especially these young lads. I got messages from some of the boys.”

“They call me uncle! Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara call me uncle. It’s so funny at this stage in my career. I’d come in the gym and the lads would be on their phones and say ‘uncle’s coming, uncle’s coming’.”

“I will say something to them and they will say, ‘okay, uncle’. It’s just brilliant that appreciation from the boys.”

“Joe Aribo messaged me the other day and sent a nice message saying ‘honoured to play with you, uncle. I feel so blessed I contributed to helping you get that league title’. These are special people.” Defoe added.

The former Tottenham man is already 39, but he is not ready to draw the curtains on his career yet. And he is not short of suitors as inews reports that the former Tottenham could return to the English Championship.

This post was last modified on January 19, 2022 4:07 pm

Kelvin Omachonu

Kelvin Omachonu is a writer with many years of experience covering sports events in Nigeria and abroad. He is fueled by his love for the job, and is dedicated to delivering captivating stories.

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