'Am I wasting my time?' - Jermain Defoe criticises lack of black coaches in England as former Premier League star eyes managerial career

• Defoe retired last year aged 39
• He aims to coach at the top level
• Is concerned about opportunities for black coaches

WHAT HAPPENED? In a recent interview with The Athletic, ex-England international Jermain Defoe has spoken out about the difficulties of finding work as a black coach. The 40-year-old former Premier League striker retired last year after playing for clubs including Tottenham, Portsmouth, and Sunderland during his glittering 22-year playing career, and is now transitioning into the world of coaching. However, he's concerned about the lack of opportunities that are afforded to black coaches in the UK and abroad.

🏆 TOP STORY: Messi set to leave PSG for free this summer

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Which players should Wrexham target this summer?

🚨 MUST READ: Most painful Premier League title slip-ups ever

WHAT THEY SAID: Defoe believes he can handle the pressures of management, but there's one thing holding him back: "When I look at the numbers of black coaches in the game, like 4.4 per cent, that’s the only thing that makes me think, ‘Am I wasting my time?’,” he said. Referring to legends of the game like Andrew Cole, Les Ferdinand and John Barnes, he continued: "at some stage, they would have been in my position thinking, ‘I’ll do my badges and get an opportunity because I’ve played at the top of the game’. But it’s not happened for them. I’m not saying I want a job because I’m black and black players don’t get an opportunity. No, I want a job because I’m good enough."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Last year, both Defoe and fellow former pro Yaya Toure were handed roles within Tottenham's academy set up. However, the number of other black coaches operating in the top flight is relatively low. A report published last month by the Black Football Partnership (BFP), an organisation of present and former black players, revealed a slight rise in the number of management-related positions held by black employees from 49 individuals out of 1,338 (3.7%) in 2022 to 57 out of 1,304 (4.4%) in 2023, but that number is still extremely low considering the large number of black players in English football.

The difficulty of moving up the football pyramid is a key factor behind this, with the BFP stating: "For black former players, the hiring rate at League Two is worse than any other league, making career progression all the more difficult." Clearly, a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that there are more black coaches managing in the Premier League.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Getty

Getty

GETTY

WHAT NEXT FOR DEFOE? Since being appointed by the club last summer, Defoe has been honing his coaching skills at Tottenham. His hopes are that he'll begin earning admirers for his work and be offered top-level management jobs in the future. “All I can do really is try and use my platform and have the conversation, talk about it,” he said. “Because at some stage it has to change. And then who knows, I could be managing in the Premier League, one day.”