Jermain Defoe left Woking after “escalating worries” within the club, with director of football Jody Brown stating that the former Tottenham forward had been absent from training.
Defoe’s deal with the National League side was ended by mutual agreement on Thursday, following a four‑month stint. In his first managerial post, the 43‑year‑old recorded two wins and one loss from six matches. The ex‑England striker had said it was “not possible for me to go on” and labelled his spell at the club an “illuminating” period.
But the club issued a firm reply on Saturday. “The suggestion to make Jermain the manager was mine, and I bear full accountability for it,” Brown said. “After several meetings with him, I was convinced he was the right figure to guide the club into an exciting fresh phase.”
He added: “However, in the past few weeks, reports had been coming in from across the club — players, staff and other areas — pointing to increasing unease.
“To gain a clearer view, I asked Jermain and Paul [Bracewell, the assistant manager] for a short update on the squad’s current numbers, recruitment plans and any practical obstacles, so we could offer the necessary backing and speed up getting ready for the campaign. That update was requested repeatedly, but it was never handed over.
“A meeting was later arranged with the directors, the manager, his assistant and the head of operations to examine how preparations were going. Neither Jermain nor his assistant showed up for that meeting or for that day’s training session. Throughout his time in charge, Jermain never once voiced any serious worries straight to me, so I won’t guess at his thinking.”
Defoe has not replied publicly to the claims made by Woking.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
