Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe is poised to return to the dugout as assistant manager to Karl Robinson at League One strugglers Bromley. The ex-England marksman has agreed to join the south London club’s coaching staff four months after his abrupt departure from National League side Woking.
Former striker agrees coaching role
According to talkSPORT, Defoe will serve as second-in-command once Robinson finalises his appointment to succeed Andy Woodman, who was dismissed on October 22. Ranked 10th on the Premier League’s all-time scoring chart with 163 goals across 496 games for six clubs, the ex-forward is Tottenham’s seventh-highest scorer. The pair have been tasked with rescuing the Ravens from the foot of the third tier.
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Turbulent summer preceded latest opportunity
Defoe has been out of work since leaving Woking in July after less than four months in charge following a falling-out with their director of football, failing to attend pre-season training before calling to confirm his exit.
Meanwhile, former Charlton Athletic, MK Dons and Oxford United boss Robinson was sacked by Salford City in June after losing the League Two play-off final. He previously tried to sign Defoe for Oxford after the striker left Rangers in 2022.
Sacked boss laments abrupt dismissal
Bromley also interviewed ex-Cesena boss Ashley Cole and considered Matt Bloomfield after sacking 55-year-old Woodman, who ended the club’s 132-year wait for Football League status in 2024 before guiding them to League One.
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Speaking on the Inside the 72 podcast, Woodman said: “The easiest way I can sum this up is that when I got the job at Bromley, my first game was Wealdstone and my last game in the league was Leicester. I was pretty disappointed and pretty upset. It felt like I’d been misled, in numerous ways.
“To give five-and-a-half years of your life to a club and a fanbase that I really loved and bought into, where I gave everything I had, to then be told in no more than three or four minutes ‘thanks’. That was it really.
“There’s no other way of dressing it up. That’s the truth. I’m disappointed, but that’s football as we know it guys. Unfortunately it never, ever surprises us.”
Survival battle awaits incoming duo
Robinson and Defoe will inherit a struggling squad sitting three points adrift of safety with just two wins from 10 league outings. Arresting a six-match winless run is the immediate priority as the Ravens navigate their maiden campaign at this level. Both coaches will now look to rebuild their reputations by steering the south Londoners clear of relegation danger.
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