Jermain Defoe hails new Sunderland signings and discusses '˜unbelievable professional' after impressive debut

Jermain Defoe believes David Moyes' new signings have lifted the spirit in the Sunderland camp, and he hailed the defensive endeavours of his team-mates in the last two games.
Defoe hailed Denayer's brilliant clearance at Selhurst ParkDefoe hailed Denayer's brilliant clearance at Selhurst Park
Defoe hailed Denayer's brilliant clearance at Selhurst Park

The 34-year-old was again the hero at Crystal Palace as his brace sealed a memorable 4-0 win, but he was quick to celebrate the clean sheets from that game and the 0-0 draw with Spurs last week.

The sold defensive shows gave Sunderland the platform to land four crucial points in the fight against relegation.

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Sunderland came under heavy pressure in the opening half an hour against Palace, and again in the final 10 minutes. Vito Mannone made a number of saves while Jason Denayer saved the clean sheet with a superb goalline clearance.

Joleon Lescott also made an impressive debut from the bench and Defoe hailed his old friend, saying that he is one of the best professionals in the business.

He said: “Maybe the signings that have come in, players that the manager knows from before, lift everyone else.

“It’s a funny one, you bring competition into the club, and the players that are here, you want to impress the new players.

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“It’s something that we wanted, the team spirit is always the most important thing, in tough times you’ve got to stick together. If you stick together as a group it doesn’t really matter what’s going on, you win together, you lose together.

“I don’t understand it [the commitment]. I’m not a defender!

“But yeah, I remember Vito’s double save, Lescott come on, someone who, you know, you can’t buy experience. It’s brilliant bringing someone like that into the football club.

“I’ve known Joleon since I was young, and there’s a lot of things that people don’t see. He’ll go into the gym 45 minutes before training, I’ve not seen that from too many players before in my career. Unbelievable professional.

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“Gibbo [Darron Gibson] has come in, not a lad I’ve played with before but he has that experience.

“It’s been good we just have to keep going, there’s no point taking our foot off the gas. With the other teams around us winning games, we need to keep winning.”

Defoe also hailed the finishing of Lamine Kone and Didier Ndong, who settled the contest with two fine first-half strikes.

The striker has 14 Premier League goals this season but said he’d have been proud to have either goal in his back catalogue.

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He said: “It [first half] was difficult because, especially in the Premier League, the intensity of the first 10-15 minutes, you want to get your second wind. The lads were a little bit tense because you don’t want to concede, you know how difficult it can be.

“You always want to get that first goal. Credit to Lamine because if you look at that finish, it’s a striker’s finish.

“Didier’s goal, that’s a great goal. Yeah, yeah [I’d have been proud of that myself].”