Jermain Defoe, who was set to play his last match for Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday against Dnipropetrovsk in the Europa League round of 16 second leg, had to withdraw due to an injury. The 31-year-old striker, who is preparing to join MLS side Toronto FC, sustained a thigh injury, as announced by his manager Tim Sherwood on Wednesday.
Despite his injury, Defoe bid farewell to his teammates at halftime and witnessed Tottenham’s qualification for the next round, thanks in large part to Emmanuel Adebayor’s impressive double. Adebayor’s goals, his 10th and 11th in 15 matches, served as a fitting send-off for Defoe before his departure for Major League Soccer.
Defoe leaves Tottenham with an impressive record of 363 matches and 143 goals for the club. Across two spells at Tottenham, he became the fifth-highest goalscorer in the history of the club and the leading scorer in European competitions with 23 goals. This season alone, he found the net 10 times in 23 appearances, including 7 goals in 5 Europa League matches.
