My mum told me I have a gift from God .. I can see a keeper move like Floyd Mayweather sees a jab coming, van Basten had that ability and so do I
Rangers new boy Defoe lifts the lid on secrets behind his goalscoring genius
JERMAIN DEFOE reckons his sharp eye for a goal is like his boxing hero Floyd Mayweather seizing his chance to deliver a KO blow.
The new Rangers striker – set to join his new team-mates at their training camp in Tenerife today – admitted his predatory instincts mean he can spot a scoring opportunity without even looking at the keeper.
And former Ibrox boss Dick Advocaat told him it’s a knack the world’s greatest frontmen all possessed, including Dutch legend Marco van Basten, during their time together at Sunderland.
For Defoe it comes naturally and has helped him plunder more than 200 career goals at the very top both at club and international level.
It is the reason Steven Gerrard will sign his former England team-mate on an 18-month loan from Bournemouth in the hope he can fire the Light Blues to a first top-tier title since 2011.
Defoe’s mum Sandra insists his killer instinct in front of goal is a gift from God and his scoring ability will have Scottish Premiership keepers running scared.
The 36-year-old, who met American ring idol Mayweather during a UK tour last year, said: “I can see a slight movement in the keeper, even when I’m not looking at him.
“I can feel it. It’s like other sports, I love Floyd Mayweather for example. I said to Floyd, ‘Why did you do this?’ and he said, ‘I don’t know why I did it, I could feel it. I just know when they’re going to jab’.
“He said, ‘I’m going to wait for you to throw your punch and I’ll counter it’.
“I always wonder how you can counter punch, you must know when someone is going to punch you but he said he couldn’t explain it.
“It’s like when I’ve taken penalties and I’ve run up and scored and I’ve said to myself I saw the keeper lean a bit or his legs or feet have moved.
“I remember speaking to Dick Advocaat and he said some players, even the greats like Marco van Basten, have this thing where even when they’ve got their head down they can see the keeper.
“My mum said from day one I had a gift from God and I had to go and express myself. She still says that and that’s why I never worry about stuff.
“Even if I go through a spell where I’m not scoring or playing as well as I normally do then I always say at the end of the day I have a gift. I tell myself nobody can take that away from me.”
Defoe hit Wigan with a bunch of fives just over nine years ago to make Premier League history as the first player to net a quintuple in one half.
Only Alan Shearer and Andy Cole had netted five goals in a game prior to Defoe with Dimitar Berbatov and Sergio Aguero later achieving the feat. And Defoe revealed how he pulled it off again exactly a year later after being forced by then Spurs boss Harry Redknapp to play in a training game.
The striker said: “I love football and I know my stats. When I scored five against Wigan I knew only Alan Shearer and Andy Cole had done it before and I was the only player to do it in one half.
“I got injured and couldn’t get back in the team and a year to the day later Harry pulled me and said I was playing in a training ground game against Lleyton Orient.
“I said I didn’t want to play in that game – I wanted to get back in the team. I remember phoning my mum. I was upset.
“But she said to do it for myself, to keep myself sharp and fit so when the chance came I was ready to go. I said ‘no problem’ and went out and scored five.
“There were scouts at the game and Les Ferdinand told Harry I’d done enough. People were clapping on the side.
“I was so fired up to show I
I can see a slight movement in the keeper, even when I am not looking at him. I can just feel it happening DEFOE
shouldn’t be playing in those games.”
Defoe was speaking to Graham Hunter’s “The Big Interview” podcast last month before his imminent Ibrox switch and even then told of his admiration for the man he will now be working under.
He said: “I played with Steven Gerrard who was England captain. He never screamed or shouted in the dressing room, he was relaxed.
“But as soon as you walk across that line and something needs to be said or someone needs to lead by example just with their performance in big games, difficult situations, he was always the one.”
Gerrard is now having that impact from the dugout after dragging Gers level on points with seven-in-a-row champions and rivals Celtic going into the winter break, where the Light Blues train at a camp in Tenerife this week.
Defoe was awarded an OBE last summer in recognition of his charity work and dedicated it to six-year-old Bradley Lowery who died from neuroblastoma, a rare and debilitating form of cancer, after the pair formed a special bond.
The striker was the youngster’s hero during his time at Sunderland and mum Gemma yesterday revealed how he was also a Gers fanatic. Defoe said: “The nation took to the story.
“When I first met Brads he was the mascot and the club told me this little boy wasn’t well and I was his favourite player. As soon as he walked into the changing room there was this energy.
“I could see the love in his eyes, the way he looked at me.”