During 2008, Fabio Capello awarded caps to 35 players in ten games as England won eight, drew one and lost one. Today we look at Jermain Defoe, who scored three goals in the year.
Age 26
Date of Birth 07.10.82
Caps in 2008 6 Goals 3
Career Caps 32 Goals 6
Portsmouth
It has been a decent year for the livewire striker, whose form at club level has seen him propelled into the forefront of Fabio Capello’s mind.
Defoe has not only become a regular in the England team, he started five of his six games in 2008, but he also doubled his international goal tally thanks to his strikes against Trinidad and Tobago and Kazakhstan.
His first involvement under Capello came in May, when he started against USA at Wembley after impressing the England Manager with his form for Portsmouth in the second half of the season following a January transfer from Tottenham Hotspur.
He then bagged himself a brace in England’s first ever game in Trinidad and Tobago in early June.
The former West Ham United man has since been a regular in Capello’s squads and played his part in the good start that has been made to the World Cup Qualifying stages by netting the fifth goal against Kazakhstan at Wembley.
He finished the year by playing from the start in England’s final game of 2008 against Germany in Berlin.
Quotes
"I think most people would describe themselves as confidence players.
"When you are playing well, you feel confident and believe you are going to do well in games. That is the kind of form you want to take into international matches."