Jermain Defoe "fully committed" to Tottenham

Jermain Defoe has insisted that he has "never" asked to leave Tottenham Hotspur but revealed that he is eager for more first-team football.

The 29-year-old striker has been linked with a switch to Premier League opponents Liverpool. However, recent reports have claimed that the Merseyside club will have to pay up to £20m to snatch the forward.

"It's not the case of me saying I want to go here, I'm not playing, I want to leave," Defoe told Sky Sports News. "I've been here six years and I've never said that once and I think the fans know that but it's just the case of me playing.

"I can understand if I was 19 [or] 20. Then I've got time on my hands but I'm 29 now and like I've always said all I want to do is play football and it's as simple as that. As it stands I'm a Tottenham player and if I play against Manchester City [on Sunday] I'll be fully committed. I'm sure everyone knows that at the club."

Spurs are currently third in the league table, five points adrift of leaders City.