Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp pushed Jermain Defoe's credentials to England coach Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson was quick to admit he had sounded out Redknapp before calling up Defoe.

Hodgson said: "I spoke to Harry because of my concern that Defoe wasn't playing every game for Tottenham.

"Harry made it clear that wasn't because he didn't think he was a good player - because he told me he does. It was because he had brought in Emmanuel Adebayor and wanted to play Rafael van der Vaart off him. Harry was very positive about Jermain."