Harry Redknapp calls on Jermain Defoe to find his early season form

Goal hunt: Jermain Defoe has been substituted in each of the last four games he has started since returning from a hamstring injury
11 April 2012

Harry Redknapp has challenged Jermain Defoe to recapture the stunning form he showed in the first half of the season to help seal Tottenham's place in the Champions League.

The England striker has reached a personal-best tally of 24 goals this term but scored just twice in his last nine matches in all competitions and only four times in the Premier League in 2010.
Between August and December, Defoe found the net on 14 occasions in the League.

Defoe has also been substituted in each of the last four games he has started since returning from a hamstring injury but Redknapp confirmed the 27-year-old was fully fit ahead of the player's 400th senior game, against Bolton tomorrow.

"We're just looking for a bit more out of him," said Redknapp. "We need him to have a good end to the season and start knocking a few goals in.
"The four strikers we have — Jermain, Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Eidur Gudjohnsen — are all good players. We just need another performance like the ones we put in against Arsenal and Chelsea. If we can do that, we have a great chance."

Victory over Bolton is paramount if Spurs are to be in a strong position for the clash against Manchester City at Eastlands on Wednesday.
City are one point adrift of fourth-placed Spurs and face Aston Villa, who are level with Redknapp's men but have played one more game, at home tomorrow.

"The game against Bolton will be very hard but if we could win it, the ideal result of the City-Villa game would be a draw," said Redknapp. "A draw or a Villa win would put us in great shape if we beat Bolton."

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