Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has confirmed that he asked to leave the club in January after finding it difficult to break into the first team on a regular basis.
"But in January I just wasn't playing enough and I did go to the manager and ask to go out on loan.
"He said to me, 'I don't want you to go out on loan. We are trying to do something special here. Don't go.' And so I stayed. And I worked hard to keep myself sharp."
And Defoe admits that he attitude remains the same.
"But still I haven't had that run of games. It still feels like I will only get a game if someone is injured or suspended," he said. ,
"Sometimes I even feel like I'm in the youth team, because I know that, whatever I do in midweek, I won't get a game at the weekend.
"The manager picks the team and I would never be disrespectful to the manager. But when someone doesn't talk to you and explain what's going on its hard.
"I love the club. Everybody knows that. When I'm out and people ask whether I am leaving I always say no. But how can I stay somewhere that I don't get the chance to play?" "I didn't want to leave. I don't go thinking, 'I want to go to this club or that club.'" he told the Daily Mirror.
