Image source, PA MediaImage caption, Jermaine Defoe won 57 caps for England
ByGeorge O'NeillBBC Sport England- Published1 hour ago
- 33 Comments
Jermain Defoe hopes he can be a trailblazer for black managers as he targets promotion with National League side Woking.
The former England striker was announced as the permanent successor to Neal Ardley on Sunday, his first managerial role.
He has previously been part of an interim coaching staff with Scottish giants Rangers in 2021 as well as working in the Tottenham Hotspur academy.
"It's been a long time coming," 43-year-old Defoe told BBC Radio Surrey.
"It was always the plan at the back end of my career when I knew I wanted to go into coaching and luckily enough that transition was quite smooth.
"I left Rangers, I went straight into Tottenham and did two years in the academy. I was exposed at Rangers a little bit with a player-coach role in my last year.
"When you look at the infrastructure, it's somewhere where I hope players will want to come and play. The talks have gone on for a while and I just want to get going."
Woking drew 1-1 with Altrincham on Tuesday under interim boss Craig Ross, leaving them 10th in the table, 11 points off the play-offs with six matches of the regular season remaining.
"I don't want to sit here and say, right, we need to achieve this, we need to achieve that," Defoe added.
"We're ambitious people, I want to do well.
"The main objective is, of course, to get promoted with the players we've got, some top players. The games that I've watched, I've been really impressed.
"You have to be confident. I think you always have to back yourself, whether you're a player or a manager or a coach."
Ex-England and Spurs striker Defoe named Woking boss
- Published2 days ago
Woking news on BBC Sport
Jermain Defoe: Outside The Box
'I've put in the hours and now it's here'
Defoe is one of only five black managers in the top five tiers of English football.
He hopes that number will rise in the years to come, but played down the idea he is under more pressure to succeed because of the lack of black managers.
"It's something that's been spoken about for many years," he said.
"I remember as a player, all the different campaigns and speaking to the likes of Les Ferdinand, Ian Wright, Andy Cole - that generation before me who did their coaching badges and obviously there was a lack of opportunities.
"I would like to think going forward, other black managers now will get opportunities.
"Players that are still playing, hopefully in the future, they'll get opportunities.
"I think there's always going to be expectation on any manager at any level. You're a manager of a football club that has to win."
Defoe said he had no qualms about starting his managerial journey in the National League and knows he has to earn his stripes despite a stellar playing career.
"My mum's always said to me in life, you've got to be grateful for every opportunity you get," he said. "Everyone's journey is different.
"You look at successful managers, everyone's journey has been different.
"It's important to appreciate the opportunity. When I was a player, a young 16-year-old at West Ham in the youth team, you have to earn your stripes. You have to do your apprenticeship.
"You can't expect, just because I've had a good career, I can't expect to just jump in at the top or get that big job."
Defoe revealed he had conversations with Gareth Southgate and Lee Carsley about their respective coaching journeys, as well as messages of support from his former bosses Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp.
"I'm lucky that I've played for some great managers," he said.
"I got a message from big Sam yesterday, which was nice. I still keep in contact with Harry.
"Towards the back end of my career, I remember Harry saying to me, 'you've got to go into management, you'll be brilliant'.
"I never really cut any corners when I was a player. I know coaching and management is different, but when you love football, nothing changes.
"This is something that I've always wanted. You have to embrace it. I've waited a long time, I've done all the courses, I've put in the hours and now it's here. I'm going to enjoy this."
'We want to get promoted' - Defoe
01/04/2026
Listen on Sounds
