Stylishly suited up in the Woking dugout, this may have been Jermain Defoe’s first match as a manager, but my word was he given a crash course in every emotion he could encounter in this new profession of his.
Delight, when his captain, Harry Beautyman, headed the side sitting midtable in the fifth tier of English football into their early lead. Dejection, when his defender, Tunji Akinola, equalised via an avoidable own goal.
Dismay, when his team trailed 3-1 after 70 minutes as ‘Utter Woking Nonsense’ intros loomed and the few hundred from Eastleigh sang that Defoe was getting ‘sacked in the morning’ when they weren’t chanting about ‘staying up’ in the National League.
But then came the smug satisfaction that only a manager can feel when his substitute saves the day. On came Kian Pennant, the 21-year-old nephew of Jermaine Pennant, who played alongside Defoe in their England youth, to create one goal and score another to complete this 3-3 comeback. It was a super finish, straight into the far corner after worming his way into the box.
Defoe may have scored more than 300 goals over his own career, including 20 in 57 caps for England, but this one from Pennant in the 85th minute thrilled him as much as any of those from his own feet.
‘I said to him, “You remind me of Raheem Sterling”, it’s the way he moves,’ Defoe said on Pennant after this draw. ‘Jermaine Pennant was a special kid. He played for Notts County at, what, 15? An Arsenal hat-trick against Southampton? It’s obviously in the family, in the blood.’
Defoe may have scored more than 300 goals over his own career, including 20 in 57 caps for England, but this one from Pennant in the 85th minute thrilled him as much as any of his own
Defoe was supported in the stands by one of his coaching mentors in Chris Hughton, who was sandwiched between Woking’s owner Todd Johnson and managing director Robin Byrne
Standing by the pitch in an empty Laithwaite Community Stadium, the 43-year-old Englishman then told us: ‘I’m even more excited by this challenge. I only had one training session. I’m just so grateful. You’ve got to be grateful for any opportunities you get in life.
‘I’ve done the hard work in terms of the badges, academy football, coaching, being on the grass, away from the cameras, for this moment. Once you get that moment you have to embrace it and enjoy it, and this has excited me even more. I want to thank the fans. The love I’ve received, it’s so humbling.
‘When I was a young kid, I was over on the park, no goals, take your jumper off, use it as a post. When you love football, you love football. I’ve had so many messages from people telling me what a great place this is to start.
‘Of course, you’ll get other people saying maybe I could have started higher, but once you get an opportunity like this, you have to be grateful. I just love football.’
Defoe assisted Steven Gerrard at Rangers, and worked for the Tottenham Hotspur academy with their Under 18s and Under 21s, but had been looking for his big break. Then Woking’s director of football, Jody Brown, called.
Defoe was supported in the stands by one of his coaching mentors in Chris Hughton, who was sandwiched between Woking’s owner Todd Johnson and managing director Robin Byrne. In another world, Hughton and Defoe might have been answering an SOS call to help save Tottenham, had Spurs not managed to secure Roberto De Zerbi.
After full-time, Daily Mail Sport found ourselves chatting with Johnson while we waited for Defoe. Woking’s owner is a lovely man, personable and polite, and the American hopes his new hire can lead them to the English Football League for the first time in their 139 years of existence. That is the aim for Defoe, who will hope that first win arrives away at Braintree on Monday.
