England international Jermain Defoe has sealed a return to the Premier League after Sunderland confirmed he had joined them from Toronto FC.
The 32-year-old has signed for the Black Cats on a three-and-a-half year deal – and will be available to face former club Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
Defoe has scored over 120 Premier League goals during spells with West Ham United, Portsmouth and Spurs.
Defoe's England record
Caps: 55
Goals: 19
Debut: v Sweden, 31/03/2004
Sunderland forward Jozy Altidore has moved back to the MLS, where he started his career, signing for Toronto as part of the deal.
Following five years in a second spell with Spurs, Defoe moved to the MLS at the start of 2014, joining the Canadian side and scoring 11 times in 16 games.
After the announcement of the deal, Defoe said: “I am delighted to be here and I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“It is a great club and I’ve always enjoyed coming up here and playing against Sunderland because of the stadium and the supporters. It is a great place to play and I’m really looking forward to it.”
His new boss Gus Poyet expressed his delight at the completion of the deal: “I am thrilled that Jermain is a Sunderland player.
Defoe scored 11 goals in 16 league games at Toronto
"I know all about his attributes and his qualities first-hand and his exceptional goal-scoring record speaks for itself. He has something different, something special.
“We know each other very well - he was very young when we played together and I was coming to the end of my career, so I know him from inside the pitch.
"When I returned to Spurs as a coach it was a great experience for me to work with him, so I am really looking forward to having him as my player now and for him to be part of our team.
“I would also like to thank Jozy as his begins his career at his new club. It is a fresh start for him and we wish him well.”
Defoe has netted over 250 goals in his career, and has won 55 caps for England, including appearances at the World Cup 2010, scoring 19 times for the Three Lions.
