Jermain Defoe has insisted that he is "totally focused" on helping Sunderland remain in the Premier League and has not been distracted by the recent talk over his future.
The 34-year-old has played his part in the Black Cats' latest relegation fight, scoring a brace against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace last weekend to make it 14 for the season so far.
Defoe was one of the most talked-about players during the January transfer window, seeing his name linked heavily with former side West Ham United, but with the market now closed until the summer he has just one target on his mind - to continue scoring goals to keep Sunderland up.
"I'm totally focused on scoring goals; I'm totally focused on helping this football club stay in the Premier League," he told talkSPORT. "For me, that's the best way to approach it so I'm not distracted, I'll just keep my head down and work hard. Even with the speculation about West Ham, it's always nice when you're wanted.
"But at the end of the day, I've been a part of this game for a long time and that's part and parcel of it now, so it was easy for me to see it and just think, 'OK, that's nice people want me, but I've got to be focused on Sunderland. It's a lot of pressure but it's not something I really think about. It's not something that gets to me.
"I think I quite enjoy it if I'm being totally honest. I realise how important the goals are so I totally dedicate myself to preparing in the correct way so I'm ready to go. Throughout the week I do everything right, I tick every box, so there's no excuses really - all I've got to do is go out and perform."
As well as scoring more than two-thirds of Sunderland's league goals this season, Defoe also has a couple of assists to his name.
Daniel Lewis
