No matter how good a footballer is, they almost all grew up idolising another professional in the sport and wanted to be just like them for a while. The opportunity to play with your role models isn't something that many are afforded the opportunity to do, but even fewer stars are given the chance and actually turn it down.
That was the case for one man, though, who had the chance to link up and play with his idol at a European powerhouse like Juventus in 2009, but instead, he chose to join Tottenham Hotspur. That man was Jermain Defoe who enjoyed two different stints at the North London club, but recently revealed, in an interview with WhoScored, with quotes shared by talkSPORT, that he almost didn't rejoin the club in 2009 and had the chance to move to Italy and team up with a star he looked up at Juventus.
Defoe Rejoined Tottenham in 2009
He signed just a year after leaving the club
In 2008, Defoe left Tottenham after four years with the club and joined fellow Premier League side Portsmouth. He spent just 12 months with the Hampshire-based club, playing 36 games for them. He scored 18 goals and created five assists for Pompey, but after just one year, he was on the move again.
After Harry Redknapp, who brought Defoe to Portsmouth, left the club for Tottenham in October 2008, the striker became unsettled at Fratton Park and in January 2009, he was given the chance to leave. He ultimately rejoined Spurs, just 12 months after leaving and reunited with Redknapp at White Hart Lane.
After spending four years with the team in his original stint, Defoe outdid himself this time around and spent over five years with Tottenham. In total, across the two spells, he played 363 times for Spurs, scoring 143 goals and becoming a club icon. Things could have been very different, though, as he had the chance to move to Juventus before deciding to return to Tottenham and he almost played with a star he considered his idol.
Defoe Was Tempted By Juventus
He liked the idea of playing with Alessandro Del Piero
While he ultimately decided to rejoin Tottenham in 2009, Defoe had the chance to move to Juventus and it's one he seriously considered for a while. According to the striker himself, he was intrigued by the notion of playing for the Serie A giants and especially about the idea of playing alongside a legend like Alessandro Del Piero. The Englishman dubbed Del Piero as 'iconic' when detailing the potential move.
"I got a phone call before I went back to Tottenham in I think 2008. I remember my agent phoned me and said to me Juventus are interested. If Tottenham doesn't get over the line would you want to come to Juventus?
"Imagine. You talk about forwards you’d love to play with, but actually, he [Del Piero] played in Soccer Aid last year, and it was just like—wow. As a young centre-forward, growing up watching players like that, an iconic figure."
Despite the Juventus interest, Defoe went back to Tottenham and played with the likes of Gareth Bale and Peter Crouch as they became a Champions League side and competed among the top four of the Premier League season after season. Things could have been very different, though, had he joined that Juventus team in 2009 that was filled to the brim with talent.
Defoe Could Have Played With Gianluigi Buffon
Juventus had some legendary figures in 2009
He might not regret his decision to go back to Tottenham in the end, but it's safe to assume that there would be plenty more silverware in Defoe's cabinet had he chosen to take his talents to Turin. In 2009, the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, one of the greatest goalkeepers ever, Pavel Nedved, a former Ballon d'Or winner, and Del Piero were all on the books at Juventus.
The side had gone several years without getting their hands on the Serie A title, but that all changed in 2012 and they embarked on a dominant run, lifting the trophy in nine straight seasons. Defoe could have been involved in at least a handful of them had he gone in 2009. Instead, he became one of the top scorers in Premier League history, with 163 strikes in total, so it's hard to imagine he's too bitter about his decision to remain in England truth be told.