Jermain Defoe wants own coaching staff at Sunderland with Mike Dodds expected to remain

Jermain Defoe wants to bring his coaching staff to Sunderland if he is given the job.

The former two-time Sunderland player is keen to take his first steps into management and has publicly stated his desire to take the vacant head coach role at the Academy of Light this summer. Defoe and the club have spoken informally about the possibility but an interview has not been forthcoming thus far.

Sunderland have been under the stewardship of Mike Dodds on an interim basis since the sacking of Michael Beale earlier this year, with coaches Michael Proctor and under-21 boss Graeme Murty stepping up to assist with first-team duties.

Sunderland’s coaching staff is expected to remain largely intact. Defoe, though, would want his own team if he were to take the job

“I'd like to bring my own people in, to be honest,” Defoe responded when asked by The Echo (via Advanced Blade Repair Services, who are providing leading wind industry training and courses in Sunderland) if he would work with Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor. “What you need to understand is I've got people around me now who I've worked with and who understand how I'd want to play and how I'd want it to look.

“Let's be honest, when it's your first job, I think you need experience around you. The people I'm talking about are experienced coaches and they've played at the top level and they've managed at the top level and they've coached at the top level. If it was going to happen for me, I think I'd want to have my people with me that I trust and my people that understand how I want to play.”

Defoe was speaking exclusively to the Sunderland Echo via Advanced Blade Repair Services, who won a competition to promote small business – head to TheWnnr.com to find out more