Spurs fan Guthrie hopes the plastic will be drastic for his boyhood idol
Jon Guthrie grew up wearing Jermain Defoe’s name on his back
Today he wants to go one better – by sticking the Rangers hitman in his back pocket.
Livingston defender Guthrie was a teenage Tottenham Hotspur fan during Defoe’s goal-laden first spell at White Hart Lane.
The Englishman admits facing his childhood hero at Ibrox earlier this season was “surreal”.
But the summer Livi capture is relishing the prospect of going toe-to-toe with him again today – and hopefully bagging a real Defoe shirt as a keepsake.
“Playing Rangers at Ibrox was the best atmosphere I’ve played in – comfortably,” said Guthrie.
“I played in big games down in England, but they don’t compare to that.
“They’re the reason players come up here from England – and having the chance to play against players like Jermain Defoe.
“I was a Tottenham fan growing up, so I was a big fan anyway. But playing against the likes of him, testing yourself against the best, that’s why I came here.
“It was surreal. You’re trying to focus on the game, but when he came on you’re thinking: ‘Wow, this is amazing’.
“I grew up watching him and supporting him. I actually had his name on the back of one of my tops when I was a boy. But I didn’t get a shirt off him after the game at Ibrox – I bottled it, to be fair.
“Hopefully, in the next few games, I’ll see what I can do!”
First, Guthrie must see what he can do against Rangers’ front line on the pitch. It’s a task he knows will require all he’s got.
“Playing against Jermain, you can see he’s obviously a top-class player,” said the Livi man.
“It’s just little things, like his movement, and he’s obviously a top finisher. If he gets the slightest chance, he’s going to take it.
“It’s the same with Alfredo Morelos, who’s another top player. But these are the sort of games you enjoy. You want to test yourself against the best and see how you get on.
“Jermain’s record over the years shows you what an athlete he is. He obviously looks after himself very well.
“You don’t go to World Cups – and score – if you’re not a half-decent player. So he must be doing something right.
“Can he do it on a plastic pitch in Livingston? Hopefully not! We’ll find out!”
Guthrie spent seven years in England’s third and fourth tiers with Crewe Alexandra and Walsall before Livi came calling.
At 27, the move north wasn’t as much of a no-brainer as it might have been for a younger man.
But having initially needed some persuasion from gaffer Gary Holt – and former Walsall team-mate Nicky Devlin – he is now loving life in West Lothian.
“It was just weighing everything up really,” he explained.
“I had a few offers down in England, and maybe my fiancee took more persuading than me.
But I was getting to a good age in my career and I just wanted to make sure I got it right.
“In the last couple of years, I got relegated and wasn’t enjoying my football very much and I wanted to go somewhere where I could.
“This was a fresh start, it felt exciting, and having spoken to Nicky, he said it was a great place to play and the big games would make it worth it.”
Devlin’s forecast has so far proven correct. And Guthrie, with his girlfriend set to join him in Scotland before Christmas, has bought fully into Livi’s way of working
“We like our underdog status as a club. We thrive off it,” he said.
“It’s not easy coming here. We’ve proved that against most teams.
“Our home record is pretty decent – especially last season – so I think that’s something we can thrive on.
“We get in people’s faces, and as long as it’s working for us, it doesn’t bother us what people say.”