West Ham transfer news: Jermain Defoe would win over Hammers fans with goals, says Tony Cottee

Stu Forster/Getty Images
Tom Doyle5 January 2017

Tony Cottee believes Jermain Defoe should return to West Ham and win doubting Hammers fans around with goals.

Standard Sport understands the Hammers are interested in re-signing the 34-year-old striker, who played for the club between 1999 and 2004, as Slaven Bilic looks to add to his attacking options this month.

Defoe joined West Ham as a 16-year-old in 1999 and was a big hit with fans until he handed in a transfer request within 24 hours of the club's relegation from the Premier League in 2003. He joined Tottenham the following year.

Defoe took his goal tally for the season to 11 with two penalties in Monday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Liverpool and appears vital to the Black Cats' survival hopes.

The 34-year-old was booed when West Ham met Sunderland at the London Stadium in October.

However, Cottee thinks the Hammers fans would quickly take to the striker again, even if some may not want to see him return.

The 51-year-old, who played nearly 300 games for the Hammers in two spells and - like Defoe - has also represented England, told Sky Sports News: "Once he's scored his first goal for the club we'll be singing his name.

"It's important West Ham get a goalscorer in now because we want to move up."

On Defoe's initial departure from Upton Park, Cottee added: "I think he was poorly advised, I do believe that."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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