Twitter View: Jermain Defoe

Jermain Defoe dropped a huge hint that he would welcome a move back to West Ham earlier this week by revealing his life-long love for the club.

Since handing in a transfer request just hours after we were relegated in 2003, Defoe has been public enemy number one and has antagonised supporters by kissing the Tottenham badge when he nets against us.

But in a somewhat bizarre turn of events, Defoe has admitted that he regrets his decision to leave the club so urgently and claims he was badly advised by his agent at the time.

He told the Daily Mirror: “It was a massive mistake. I didn’t really want to do it.

“We’re talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the time because I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved me there. They were brilliant, every game they sang my name.

“The person who represented me at the time said. ‘You need to hand in a transfer request and get in early because all the lads are going to leave.’

“The backlash was crazy. I felt like I was on my own and people were absolutely abusing me. It’s quite sad really because I can honestly say I still love the club.”

And with the club’s current crisis in front of goal, the obvious question amongst Hammers fans after reading those comments is “would/should we take him back?”

Love or hate him, Defoe can still score goals for fun, which is exactly what we could do with right now.

We posed the above question to Hammers fans on Twitter to gauge the general feeling amongst supporters ahead of the January transfer window and, as expected, it was a split opinion. Take a look…

dont know how realistic it is, but i would LOVE to see Carroll paired up with Defoe in january. Clean sheets + loads of goals = Success

— ⚒⚒ Brawley Darbon ⚒⚒ (@BrawleyDarbon) November 5, 2013

if defoe wants to come back,then say too him,30k a week take or leave it#stillwannacome?

— kevin baxter (@kevinbaxter2) November 5, 2013

Defoe's a rat. Had he's best days at Spurs & now trying to force a move in Jan 4 a last pay day & a World Cup place. #wakeup

— 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bill 父 🇬🇧 (@billbaggs1080) November 5, 2013

I wonder if Defoe was also advised to ignore his manager, not pass the ball to a team mate and get sent off three times in 4 months.

— VINNYWHUFC (@vinnywhufc) November 5, 2013

@WestHamWorld with a striker we would be sitting top 6 or do we fancy a relegation battle would take back in a heartbeat #allsticks&stones

— paul davis (@pdavis43) November 5, 2013

@WestHamWorld No I think there are better younger players out there we should go for.

— Peter Martin (@chubcatcher) November 5, 2013

@WestHamWorld get him back! Was young and badly represented!! Knows the club inside out and scores goals! #nobrainer

— lee baldwin (@Lee8baldwin) November 5, 2013

@WestHamWorld Saying he loves the club still, really? Thats why he's slagged fans n patted or kissed Spurs badge when he's scored against us

— John Tatman (@jbmtat66) November 5, 2013

@WestHamWorld too old not tall enough wouldn't work

— The West Ham Vault (@TheWestHamVault) November 5, 2013

What do you think? Would you take Jermain Defoe back after everything that’s happened in the past, or has too much been said and done? Leave your comments below or join the conversation on Twitter.