Jermain Defoe: 'Prospective Juventus move did not scare me'

Jermain Defoe has revealed that he would not have been afraid to join Juventus in January 2009, but was relieved to eventually sign for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Bournemouth striker, then at Portsmouth, was the subject of interest from the Serie A giants.

Ultimately Defoe would return to White Hart Lane for a second spell, but in an interview with Sky Sports News, the 35-year-old spoke of his feelings regarding the potential Juve move.

"I remember being at home and sitting there for a few days and just waiting for the deal [with Spurs] to get done," said Defoe. "I knew it was close.

"Then, I got a phone call from someone to say that Juventus were interested. Obviously, I wanted to go back to Tottenham but I thought maybe the Tottenham one was not going to happen.

"Nothing really scares me. It is just another massive club, you go there, you play and you score goals. It is as simple as that.

"When the Tottenham one got done it was a relief. Some places just feel like home. It was the perfect move for me."

Defoe remained with Spurs until the summer of 2014, after which he joined Major League Soccer side Toronto FC.