Rangers loan forward Jermain Defoe has detailed an incredible chance encounter with Graeme Souness before his move to Ibrox, in an interview with talkSPORT.
The 37-year-old veteran signed an 18-month deal from parent club Bournemouth back in January and has proved an excellent addition the squad.
He scored on his debut and enjoyed an impressive end to last season. Yet, it’s been over the early part of this campaign where he’s really come into his own.
Defoe has 12 goals from 14 appearances to date [Soccerbase] and has already expressed his desire to earn a permanent deal [Sky Sports].
He says that he acted on advice from Ibrox legend Souness to go for the move and embrace everything that comes with being a Ger.
“I remember before I signed, I spoke to Graeme Souness and we spoke about the Old Firm,” Defoe told talkSPORT. “He said, ‘do you know what? It’s the best game in the world.”
“Then, I actually bumped into Souness when I was on the way up to sign and he just said to me, ‘if you go there and do it right, trust me, you will love it’ and then I was just so excited.”
“I mean, to be at a club, as you said, at the back end of your career, to finish somewhere like that. It’s amazing, there’s no better place.”
Verdict
Defoe’s enthusiasm for all things Rangers is so apparent throughout this interview, where he waxes lyrical about all aspects of the club and its fan base.
It appears that Bears have, in part, Souness to thank for helping bring the England marksman north of the border.
His comments in their initial conversation clearly sparked the veteran’s interest, and the second impeccably-timed encounter revved up his anticipation further.
Defoe performing at a remarkable level for his age and despite only being on loan, it’s clear his commitment to the cause is absolute.
