Jermain Defoe's Woking Departure Follows 'Growing Concerns' Over Unmet Expectations

Jermain Defoe’s departure from Woking came after “growing concerns” at the club with Jody Brown, the National League side’s director of football, claiming the former Tottenham striker failed to turn up for training.

Defoe’s contract at the National League club was mutually terminated on Thursday after four months in charge. In his first managerial job, the 43-year-old oversaw two wins and one defeat in six matches.

The former England forward had said it was “impossible for me to continue” and described his time at the club as an “eye-opening” experience.

But the club responded strongly on Saturday. “The recommendation to appoint Jermain as manager was mine, and I take full responsibility for it,” Brown said. “After meeting with him on several occasions, I believed he was the right person to lead the club into an exciting new era.”

But he went on: “However, in recent weeks there had been feedback from across the club, including players, staff and other departments, regarding growing concerns.

“To better understand the situation, I asked Jermain and Paul [Bracewell, the assistant manager] for a brief report outlining the squad’s current depth, recruitment targets and any operational challenges, so we could provide the support required and accelerate preparations for the season. That report was requested on more than one occasion but was never received.