Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has backed Tottenham Hotspur’s move to bring in Jermain Defoe and Yaya Toure as coaches at the club’s academy and said ex-players stepping into coaching roles is exactly the kind of thing he likes to see.
An overhaul of the coaching structure at Spurs is underway and according to the Evening Standard, Defoe will take on a role with the academy in the near future. Toure, who worked with the club on a temporary basis in December, is also set to be given a full-time position.
In an appearance on talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show (26/07/22), former Arsenal man Parlour was once again singing the praises of North London rivals Spurs with his support of their planned backroom staff structure.
Parlour recently said Spurs are “looking good” ahead of the new season (Sky Sports), and his latest comments continue a trend of the pundit sharing positive opinions about Arsenal’s closest competitors.
Host, Alan Brazil, said: “This is very interesting. Tottenham are set to appoint club legend, Jermain Defoe, and three-time Premier League winner, Yaya Toure, as coaches for the academy. How about that?”
When asked what he thought of the Defoe appointment, Parlour said “That’s good. Jack Wilshere has just gone into Arsenal, hasn’t he? The U18’s coach, so you want to see your ex-players coming back in.
“Jermain Defoe, what a legend he has been. What a way to learn.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It feels strange to hear an Arsenal legend being so positive about Spurs, but Parlour is right to praise the move for Defoe. The academy players will learn so much from the former Spurs striker, and it can only be a good thing for them to have a club legend guiding them at such a crucial stage of their career.
With Defoe and Toure looking over the youth squads at Spurs, the conveyor belt of talent at the club is an exciting prospect indeed. The pair both have a lot to offer with their experience in the game, and it will be very interesting to see how they get on. Hard to put Wilshere on the same level as Toure and Defore though…
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