Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe admits he was unhappy with the abuse he copped from Portsmouth fans when he was sold last season.

Defoe has since been joined by the likes of former Portsmouth players Peter Crouch, Niko Kranjcar and Younes Kaboul under ex-Pompey boss Harry Redknapp at Spurs, but he hopes South Coast animosity will be calmed by memories of FA Cup glory in 2008.

He told the Mirror: "Portsmouth, in particular, will be tough. A lot of our players will have mixed feelings about playing them again because of the divided loyalties and the situation the club is in.

"I have to say that I, too, wouldn't be human if I didn't still have feelings for Pompey.

"I was sold by them because of the perilous financial situation that the club was in. I had no choice in the matter.

"Yet you wouldn't believe the number of abusive phone calls and messages I got from Portsmouth fans angry at the way they thought I was treating them. Some of them very, very nasty indeed.

"I was shocked. I couldn't believe it, not only because of the things that they were saying but also the fact they had animosity towards me over a situation that wasn't of my making.

"The truth was that my departure from Fratton Park wasn't up to me. Pompey had to cash in on me."