Everything Jermain Defoe said about Sunderland, Newcastle United goal and Bradley Lowery in recent article

The first saw some memorable moments as he cemented himself as a fan-favourite for his goals. Defoe returned to Sunderland in January but retired before the season’s end.

Recently, Defoe wrote an article for the Players' Tribune reflecting on his career – here’s what he said:

Jermain Defoe on THAT goal against Newcastle United

Scoring at the World Cup might’ve been my favourite goal but this was surely my best.

Do you know in Aladdin when the genie comes up? That’s how I felt here. Like I’d just been granted my first wish. Like I could do anything.

The Tyne-Wear Derby is always a huge game. I jumped at the chance to join Sunderland in January 2015. It’s a proper club up there, with proper fans. But they’d been on a bad run and by the time the Derby came around, we really needed a win.

I remember big Steven Fletcher heading it down to me right before halftime. Normally I’d try to control it, but I’d been going up and down all half and my legs were so tired that I thought, I’m just gonna hit this….

And then as soon as I connected, Oh my God…. Left foot as well. Proper.

I still remember the roar of the stadium. The roof came off the place, man. Imagine nearly 50,000 Mackems going nuts.

The lads were all on top of me celebrating and when I got up … I just started to cry.

Jermain Defoe on the special bond he had with Bradley Lowrey

I can’t not talk about Bradley, can I? I remember during my second season at Sunderland, Louise Wanless, the press girl, said to me one day, “There’s a young kid who wants to meet you.”

She explained that Bradley Lowery was a mascot, that he had neuroblastoma and that I was his favourite player. I was like, “O.K., of course. No worries.” But I had no idea what he would be like. I just assumed from her description that he’d be super shy and quiet.

But as soon as he came into the changing room, he ran straight over to me and jumped on my lap and gave me a cuddle with a big smile on his face. Haha!

After that first meeting, I asked Louise to get me in contact with the family so I could go and see him at the hospital.

At first, I was going with other players, but then I just kept going back on my own. I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. We just had this natural connection, this bond. I still don’t know how to explain it. I got so used to him being around at Sunderland that I really struggled after he was gone.

He taught me to appreciate life and the people around me so much more. He changed me, my whole perspective. He was such a character, so funny.

Every time we walked out for games, he would wait for the cameras and do this pose, like a salute. I remember asking his mum, Gemma, “Did you teach him that?”

And she was like, “No.”

“So why does he do it?”

“I don’t know.”

Hahahaha! That was Bradley, man.