The former striker enjoyed two spells with the Black Cats where he scored 37 goals in 100 matches.
Jermain Defoe has thrown his name into the hat for the vacant job at Sunderland that would see him replace his old Rangers coach Michael Beale .
Ex-Hibernian manager Paul Heckingbottom has been heavily linked with the role, while Reims boss Will Still is also a reported target. But former Sunderland and Rangers striker Defoe, who hung up his boots in 2022 after a 23-year career that saw him net over 300 goals, has now openly declared his desire to succeed Beale at the Stadium of Light if the opportunity to arise.
The 41-year-old says he is gearing up for a career in management and reckons his year under Steven Gerrard as a player/coach at Ibrox will stand him in good stead for future challenges. He added: “I hear people talk about needing experience. My experience is working with young players, understanding what they need and it forces you to coach.
"I've put my CV into a few clubs and had conversations, just conversations to see where I'm at in terms of my badges. A lot of people don't remember but I had the year experience at Rangers as player/coach, so I was exposed to that level.”
Michael Beale Rangers FC Steven Gerrard English Football League Sunderland AFC
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