Jermain Defoe dedicates goal to late cousin

England striker Jermain Defoe has dedicated his goal in this evening's friendly against Italy to his late cousin Hannah.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker came off the bench to score the winner in the 2-1 victory, and paid tribute to his relative afterwards.

"That goal was for my cousin who died in St Lucia. It would have been her 21st birthday today. It's one of the best goals I have ever scored for England," The Mirror quotes him as saying.

"The main thing was to get a win. Even if you speak to the lads with more caps than me, every time you play you feel like you want to prove something.

"For a striker it is always important to score a goal and I am obviously delighted I could do that tonight."

England fell behind to a Daniele De Rossi header before Everton's Phil Jagielka headed an equaliser, and Defoe clinched the winner in the latter stages.