Defoe's stint at Sunderland has driven his stock up quite a bit and given a revisionist take on his career pre-MLS move. He left the PL for a reason... very few clubs even wanted to take the risk on him on a proposed return, and there won't be many posts at the time of his return touting him as the player he has been for Sunderland.
He's less than a 1-in-2 striker and was practically a perennial sub at the higher challenging club (Spurs) that he played for. Fergie wanted him for that sub role for a time, but for Defoe, I'm not sure that's a fun or favoured role to play when smaller sides are willing to start him and not scrutinise his overall game just as long as he delivers in front of goal.
Better teams demand more all-round quality from their front men, with goals being a pre-requisite. At higher levels, you're effectively playing with ten men with Defore, unless the opportunities to play in the opposing box are plentiful; when he doesn't score, he's not affected the game in any way or provided passes, runs or space for others in the side to benefit from. He is old school poacher levels of selfish, and to get away with that, he'd have to be on a RVN, Inzaghi etc level, which he never was.
Defoe has found a niche for himself as a saviour for lower level sides, and, as long as they're paying him a matching wage to what he'd get as a super-sub, why would he want to give up all that playing time and adulation for the cauldron of criticism he'd get at bigger clubs?
Up to the point of a 7th or 8th-place, Defoe should be seriously hot property, but after that, he's got cons that weigh his pros down and limit his playing time.
He's less than a 1-in-2 striker and was practically a perennial sub at the higher challenging club (Spurs) that he played for. Fergie wanted him for that sub role for a time, but for Defoe, I'm not sure that's a fun or favoured role to play when smaller sides are willing to start him and not scrutinise his overall game just as long as he delivers in front of goal.
Better teams demand more all-round quality from their front men, with goals being a pre-requisite. At higher levels, you're effectively playing with ten men with Defore, unless the opportunities to play in the opposing box are plentiful; when he doesn't score, he's not affected the game in any way or provided passes, runs or space for others in the side to benefit from. He is old school poacher levels of selfish, and to get away with that, he'd have to be on a RVN, Inzaghi etc level, which he never was.
Defoe has found a niche for himself as a saviour for lower level sides, and, as long as they're paying him a matching wage to what he'd get as a super-sub, why would he want to give up all that playing time and adulation for the cauldron of criticism he'd get at bigger clubs?
Up to the point of a 7th or 8th-place, Defoe should be seriously hot property, but after that, he's got cons that weigh his pros down and limit his playing time.