Former Premier League striker Jermain Defoe has slammed the lack of black coaches in the English game as he eyes a role after his professional playing career.
Defoe, 40, retired from football back in 2022 with 286 club goals to his name across his 731 appearances for teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and Portsmouth.
Since retiring, the former goalscorer has looked to move into the world of coaching and has been handed a role at Spurs as a member of the clubs academy staff, along with Manchester City legend Yaya Toure.
However, there is one problem facing him ahead of his voyage into the managerial hot seat, which is the underrepresentation of black coaches within the industry.
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Speaking to The Athletic, Defoe highlighted the issues facing him and many others as they look to secure roles moving forward. He said: "When I look at the numbers of black coaches in the game, like 4.4 per cent, that’s the only thing that makes me think, ‘Am I wasting my time?’”
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Defoe then went on to talk about legends of the game such as Andrew Cole, Les Ferdinand and John Barnes, where he added: "At some stage, they would have been in my position thinking,
‘I’ll do my badges and get an opportunity because I’ve played at the top of the game’. But it’s not happened for them. I’m not saying I want a job because I’m black and black players don’t get an opportunity. No, I want a job because I’m good enough."
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A report published last month by the Black Football Partnership (BFP), which is an organisation of black players both past and present, revealed a small increase rise in the number of positions held by black employees from 3.7% in 2022 to 4.4% in 2023. Although despite the increase, the number still remains extremely low when taking into account the number of black players within the English football pyramid.
Topics: Football, Premier League, Jermain Defoe, Tottenham Hotspur, England
Patrick Rowe