Striker likens feeling to scoring vital England goal at South Africa 2010Jermain Defoe has likened the experience of volleying Sunderland’s winner in the Wear-Tyne derby to scoring for England at a World Cup.After a fabulous swipe of his left foot sent the ball arcing beyond Tim Krul to secure Dick Advocaat’s side a potentially relegation averting 1-0 win against Newcastle on Sunday, Defoe cast his mind back to June 2010 and the World Cup in South Africa, when his winner against Slovenia ensured England progressed to the knockout stages.
“I got that same feelings when I scored in the World Cup,” said Defoe, who burst into tears after his goal against Newcastle. “When I got the goal in South Africa I was really emotional and after the game I was really emotional. That was scoring in a World Cup for your country. It was the same on Sunday.”
In evading Krul’s grasp, the 32-year-old’s goal has altered the mood on Wearside beyond recognition. “I just love scoring goals and the fans deserved it,” he said. “It’s been really difficult for them in the last few weeks but they always come. It was the whole occasion really that got to me. It was great to be the person that made so many people happy.”
Sunderland’s fifth successive derby win lifted them three points clear of the teams in the bottom three places and confirmed the wisdom of the club’s hefty investment in importing Defoe from Toronto in January. Despite a slow start under Advocaat’s predecessor, Gus Poyet, he seems set to fully justify his £70,000-a-week wages.
“Since I’ve been here I’ve proved that I understand how big the club is and how much people here love football,” Defoe said. “I think I’ve also shown I’m an emotional person. As the whistle went for half-time and as I was walking down the tunnel I thought ‘I’m crying and I’m on the telly’ but I didn’t care. It was just a special day.
“When you’re a young kid playing football you want to play in massive games like this. The manager said to us beforehand, we were lucky to be playing in a game like this. There are so many young kids who wish they could play in a game like this. To be blessed and to score the winner is amazing.”
Defoe had woken with a sense it would be his day. “Going on the bus towards the game and seeing everyone outside the hotel, wanting autographs and pictures, I felt ‘wow, this is a massive game’,” he said. “When I was in Toronto I said many times that I missed the Premier League. Games like this and being at a club like this where they just love football are why I came back.
“I’d talked about scoring all week and I had that feeling beforehand. It was just an unbelievable day. I got up in the morning and was so excited. It felt like my first game.”
Defoe’s desire to help collect a vital three points was such that he spent the preceding days psyching himself up. “I really prepared myself,” he said. “I painted pictures in my mind all week, staying behind and doing finishing and I didn’t sleep on Saturday night.”
When the chance came, from a Steven Fletcher flick-on, the trajectory dictated it was destined for Defoe’s supposedly weaker left foot. “I saw it coming down and I thought I’d hit it at its lowest point,” he said. “As soon as it left my foot I knew I’d scored. It was one of those moments when you think ‘wow is this really happening’?. The stadium just erupted and I got emotional. The feeling was special. I’ve always practised with my left foot – you get chances on it but to score a goal like that was a dream come true.”
Such a fantasy that Defoe ranks it among his top two finishes. “It’s up there. It’s top five easy … top two actually. The feeling was unbelievable. I’ll never forget it.”
He hopes it will prove the catalyst for Sunderland’s latest successful relegation fight. “We massively needed the three points,” said Defoe. “Hopefully now we can kick on. We’ve got massive games coming up and we need to win them.”
By Louise Taylor / Guardian 
