Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe is grateful for the influence of mentor Ian Wright.

Arsenal legend Wright has worked closely with Defoe throughout his career.

He told Absolute Radio: "Yeah. I love Wrighty. It's just his passion for the game, obviously the goals that he scored, for club and country. Yeah I think his passion and like just every game he played in, you could just see that he just loved it. He just had that hunger to score goals. Yeah, and growing up as a kid and even playing in the school playground, I thought I was Wrighty. I used to love watching Wrighty.

"On a serious one, I think that he's been brilliant with me from day one, when I first met him when I was sixteen at West Ham and I walked into the grounds, he was the first person that I saw. You can imagine what I was like, I was like 'Wow! Ian Wright'. From then really I always kept in touch, I speak to him before games. Even at West Ham when I was sixteen, I used to stay behind after training, doing finishing and all the things that he has said to me over the years, I think it will stick with me for the rest of my career, so nice one Wrighty."

Listen to Absolute Radio's Rock n' Roll Football with Ian Wright, Saturday's 5pm on 1215AM. Visit absoluteradio.co.uk/football for more.