Hamstring injury robs departing Tottenham star Jermain Defoe of fairytale club finish

STRIKER Jermain Defoe was hailed as a Tottenham Hotspur “legend” as he prepared to bid farewell to the north London club.

JERMAIN Defoe was hailed as a Tottenham Hotspur “legend” as he prepared to bid farewell to the north London club.

A hamstring injury means the 31-year-old won't have the chance to add to his club tally of 143 goals in two spells when Spurs face Ukraine's Dnipro in the last 32 of the Europa League at White Hart Lane on Friday (EDT).

Jermain Defoe is set to continue his career in the MLS.

The European tie had been pencilled in as Defoe's final match in a Spurs shirt ahead of his move to Toronto in North America's Major League Soccer.

But he will take the field at half-time to receive the applause of the White Hart Lane faithful one last time before he heads to Canada.

And Spurs manager Tim Sherwood mentioned him in the same breath as Tottenham and England forward great Jimmy Greaves, who scored more than 200 goals in 321 games for the club in the 1960s.

“Jermain Defoe is, possibly along with Jimmy Greaves, one of the best goalscorers this club has ever seen,” Sherwood said.

“Let's hope we can find another one like Jermain Defoe because he is all about goals and he always played with all his heart whenever he put on the shirt.

“Everyone appreciated his efforts and he certainly is a legend at this football club.”

In Defoe's absence, Sours will look to strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado for goals as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Ukraine.

Soldado missed an open goal in that match and the Spaniard has scored just once in his past 11 games.

“Robbie knows his time has come and hopefully that will be tomorrow (Thursday),” said Sherwood.

“We know what he can do, he is a top player otherwise he would not be at the club. Now is the time for one to ricochet off his backside and go in and then he can go on a run like Adebayor has.”

Last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Norwich left Spurs six points adrift of Liverpool in the race for a top four finish in the Premier League and a place in next season's Champions League.