Jermain Defoe, one of the top goalscorers in Premier League history, cemented his status as a footballing legend during | dG1fa01RbzZSZXFBcUE
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00:00My life was just, it was just all about golf.
00:07But when you finish playing and you reflect on everything,
00:10I can see it's not just about, you know, football.
00:14There's other stuff that's important.
00:16Here's Defoe, chance, goal!
00:19Dream debut for Jermaine Defoe!
00:21I strive to see all the strikers and see how good they are.
00:24And then you train, and they start bang, bang, bang,
00:27and you're thinking, wow.
00:28Listen, I've got the ice for you.
00:29There are times where I thought you could have passed me,
00:31and I'd have a lot more.
00:35What a goal!
00:38I grew up in East London.
00:39So my mum was, yeah, 17.
00:41We just got pregnant.
00:42I was still living at home with my parents.
00:45I was a baby.
00:46I still remember it was my first Sunday team.
00:48We had the best players in East London.
00:51And I think about it now, it's like, so much pressure.
00:53This ain't no normal kid.
00:55He just said that Jermaine Defoe was here,
00:57and we might be able to get him out.
00:59It's a bit of a sore point, really.
01:00West Ham came in.
01:01Charlton claimed the under-16 internationals,
01:03poached by the Hammers.
01:06I'd all right his posters all over the wall.
01:08And then, yeah, I shook his hand, just like a kid.
01:11I just wanted to put my boots on.
01:12I wanted to show right how good I was.
01:14That was the master and the apprentice there.
01:16Right there.
01:21England footballers were becoming massive superstars.
01:24Editors realised their private lives
01:26suddenly became of interest.
01:28Yeah, of course I've poked people over the years,
01:30but no-one's perfect.
01:31You're young and successful and, you know, single.
01:35They build you up, and then they knock you down.
01:37That's what they were doing there.
01:44I think it was just the way he looked at me.
01:46It was like, I've never experienced anything like it before.
01:49Jermaine said that he was going to come up
01:51and see Bradley in hospital.
01:53Me, just sort of, like, not trusting people.
01:55You're sort of, like, having a go at it and not connecting
01:57and not getting close to people.
01:59But then with Bradley, all he wanted was to meet me.
02:02There's nothing else he wants from me.
02:04That's genuine love.
02:10Because, yeah, it's more than just kicking a ball.