England fans want Gareth Southgate to bring a legend to Euro 2024 in Germany after seeing his display at Soccer Aid.
England, managed by Frank Lampard and Harry Redknapp, took on Mauricio Pochettino's Rest of the World outfit at Stamford Bridge.
After five years without a win, the Three Lions finally bagged a victory in the UNICEF charity match with a stunning 6-3 triumph.
Joe Cole, Ellen White, Steven Bartlett (2), Jermain Defoe and Theo Walcott all bagged, while Eden Hazard, Alessandro Del Piero and Billy Wingrove were on target for the opposition.
There were plenty of strong performances across the board from the ex professionals, with Jack Wilshere rolling back the years in midfield.
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But it was Defoe who made the biggest impression. The well-travelled striker, who scored 20 times in 57 games for England, came off the bench in the second half and scored a fine goal.
And though Southgate named his 26-man squad for the Euros on Thursday, fans want Defoe to sneak in.
One wrote: "Bring Defoe back for #euro2024."
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Another said: |It’s not too late to get Jermain Defoe on that plane Mr. Southgate."
A third said: "Jermain Defoe needs to come out of retirement."
A fourth commented: "Not sure how defoe Walcott Cole and Wilshere didn’t make the #Euro2024 squad like #SoccerAid."
A final person agreed: "Jermain Defoe looks like he could still do a job for England at Euro 2024."
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Defoe turned out for England at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 tournament and scored his final goal for his country in 2017 against Lithuania.
He retired in 2022, finishing his career with a second spell at Sunderland in League One.
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Topics: England, Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate, Jermain Defoe, Fan Reactions
Josh Lawless