Mum said: One day youll thank me ...

I thank her every day

Defoe was tipped for stardom from a young age Times photographer, Marc Aspland Oliver Kay Last updated at 12:01AM, December 1 2012 The easy thing is to look at English footballers and to talk of underachievement. The easy thing is to look at a guy like Jermain Defoe, sitting among Olympians and talking of the dedication, sacrifice and endeavour required to overcome the odds and become an elite sportsman, and to sneer.

Defoe was tipped for stardom from a young age. He was one of those precocious talents whisked off to the FAs School of Excellence at Lilleshall, Shropshire, at 14. He was snapped up by West Ham United from Charlton Athletic for a transfer fee of 1.4 million at 16. He has gone on to have a good career, scoring more than 200 goals at club level, scoring 17 goals in 52 appearances for England. He has lived up to high expectations and has a huge salary and a couple of diamond earrings to show for it. But unlike Tessa Sanderson, whom he sits alongside on a forum at a Princes Trust event, he has never won a medal. But Defoe has overcome the odds. You have to be determined, not to mention talented, to make it as a centre forward in the 21st century when you are 5ft 5in and when the demand in recent years has been for height, power and muscle. You have to have something about you to make the grade in the Barclays Premier League, where barely a third of the players are homegrown. And you have to be single-minded to stay on track when you are a kid from the East End, where distractions, pitfalls and tales of woe abound. These days Defoe lives the millionaires life of the modern footballer, hitting the back pages when he scores goals for Tottenham Hotspur, hitting the front pages if he walks out with a female celebrity on his arm, but the realism of the East End is never far away. He talks with a sense of disbelief about the murder of his half-brother, Jade, in April 2009. He recalls the story of a highly promising team-mate at Charlton who ended up in prison. He talks passionately, sincerely about the work done by the Princes Trust and how, when he speaks to youngsters, he feels concerned about their lack of opportunity. I grew up in East London, so Ive seen a lot of things, heard a lot of stories, Defoe says. I still hear a lot of stories. When that happened to my brother, I thought This is mad. I also thought it was a problem because it wasnt only my brother. So many kids are dying. I speak to kids and theyre, like, What are we meant to do? There are no jobs out there. Kids dont want to be going to college or doing courses or working in a restaurant. They want to wear nice clothes, nice trainers. I know that. I know thats the mentality. At the event at Upton Park, where he played for West Ham, Defoe talks about the role of his mother, whom he credits with keeping him on the straight and narrow path to stardom. All my friends were on the street, drinking and smoking, he says. My mum used to say: Have you got football tomorrow? Go to bed at 9 oclock. I would look out of my bedroom and see a friend kissing some girl. I would say Cant I go out? For half an hour? She said: One day youll thank me. I thank her every day. I had a friend, Kacey Ashman. We played for Newham district together and then we were at Charlton. He had so much natural talent, but he fell in and out of prison. He was a brilliant player. At Charlton, it was always me and Kacey. When he came out of prison, because he was so special, one of the coaches moved him into his house in South London, just to try to get him away from the streets. But it didnt work.

Even now I would love to have seen what Kacey could have done. He was a midfielder strong, quick, aggressive, really aggressive, scored goals. A lot of my friends say to me still: J, can you imagine how good Kacey would have been if he had kept out of trouble? He would have played for England. He was brilliant. Brilliant. Defoe was the one who went on to play for England and to become a regular goalscorer in the Premier League. Last week, he moved above Teddy Sheringham to eighth in Tottenhams all-time goalscoring list. Another five goals would put him level with Alan Gilzean. Another four after that would put him in joint-fifth place. Many footballers would tell you they are not bothered by such things, but for Defoe it is an obsession. Its quite sad, really, but Ive got a sheet in my gym at home, on the mirror, a list of the top ten, with Jimmy Greaves at the top, which Ive done myself, Defoe says. Every time I score, I change it. I scored a hat-trick against Maribor and overtook Teddy, so I went in there and put my name up a place. Then Ill say Right, Ive got to get to this many goals and then I cross another name out. I think it helps my focus. I know its about the team and that this is a personal thing, but at the end of the day, if Im scoring goals, its helping the team. When I get up in the morning, I go in and have a look at it and its a good feeling. That good feeling extends to Defoes arrival at his place of work. With ten goals to his name this season, he is enjoying life under Andr Villas-Boas. I think it was difficult for Andr because he was at Chelsea and things werent great there and he has come to Tottenham and everyone is looking at him, Defoe says. Even before the season started, a lot of people were doubting him, which was harsh. What he has done so far has been brilliant. All the lads love him. Hes got great ideas and, away from football, hes a top guy, a really nice guy. Villas-Boas believes in Defoe, not only picking him to start 13 of 14 Premier League matches but selecting him, more often than not, as a lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The regular omission of Emmanuel Adebayor might have upset some Defoe suggests the team can thrive equally well with one striker or two but it has allowed the England forward to demonstrate that a lack of inches does not preclude him from filling such a role. He says that the main requirement in that role is movement. And movement, along with finishing, has always been his strength. We talk about the crisis of confidence that Fernando Torres is going through at Chelsea. We had the TV on in the dressing room the other night, Defoe says. Chelsea had drawn 0-0 and the camera was on Torres. At the end of the day, its not just him. Its about the team. I know the standards he showed at Liverpool and people are thinking he should do the same. Sometimes it takes time. I know its been a long time, but hes older now. Maybe hes not as sharp or not as confident. But theres so much pressure on him, so much. Even if they win, its Torres hasnt scored.

By contrast, Defoes career is in a good place. Personally, he appears settled and content. But there is a darkness ever-present in the background. He has been through a traumatic time, losing not only his half-brother but also, in the past six months, losing his father, to cancer, and his cousin, Hannah, to a swimming-pool accident while on holiday. Its something you think of all the time when youre on your own, he says. The only time you dont think of stuff and you feel at peace is when youre playing. When youre on the pitch, youre in a different world. Everything youve been through and its not only what happened with my brother, its my dad, my cousin you think about it. My dad wasnt there much when I was younger. It wasnt the best relationship, if Im honest. I was always closer to my mum. But my dad got ill and, well, you get together and try to bury everything. I thought At the end of the day, thats my dad and I want to be there for him. I was with him every day. I was finishing training and just going to the hospital, being with him. When I was away with England, Roy Hodgson said to me, You should be with your dad. Its important. Get a car. Just make sure youre back for the meetings. That time was great. Ive got a strong family. Ive got my mum. Ive got a lot of good people around me, a lot of good friends, which helps. If I didnt have that, I think it would be really hard.

Tottenhams all-time leading goalscorers Jimmy Greaves 266 Bobby Smith 208 Martin Chivers 174 Cliff Jones 159 George Hunt 138 Len Duquemin 134 Alan Gilzean 133 Jermain Defoe 126 Teddy Sheringham 124 Robbie Keane 122