- Glen Johnson could not believe Jermain Defoe took up the manager role at Woking.
- The Ibrox hero has had a 3-3 and a 0-0 in his first two games in charge of the Cardinals.
- Six games remain this season for the National League side
Glen Johnson has expressed his shock and surprise after Jermain Defoe took up his first managerial role at National League side Woking.
The Ibrox cult-hero, 43, was appointed as the Cardinals’ boss at the end of last month and has presided over two draws so far.
Glen Johnson played with Jermain Defoe at West Ham, Portsmouth, and England, and thought he knew all about the man, but the recent decision caught him off guard.
The pair came through the England system together and accompanied each other to two World Cups, but Johnson stated that Defoe never appeared to be a manager in the making.
No chance Jermain Defoe would be a boss…
All that has changed, with JD now in place at the Kingfield Stadium.
Johnson told CasinoWizard:
“Having played with him, I would have said no chance would he want to be a manager.
“But obviously, by doing his coaching badges and clearly loving what he’s doing, he’s forged a new pathway for himself.
“Players mature as they go through their careers and again into their non-playing days but it was a bit of a shock having known him and played with him.
On taking up the challenge in the fifth tier, Glen Johnson continued, “I think it’s great, obviously he loves football and obviously feels like he can do a job and improve what he’s walking into.
“It’s a great place to start earning his stripes and learning the game because obviously the coaching side of things and managing is totally different to playing.
He concluded, “ I think it’s a great way to start, it’s great that he’s starting lower down the pyramid but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with its own pressures, but being slightly lower key is great for his development.”
Read Rangers analysis
Jermain Defoe was part of the interim management team when Steven Gerrard left Ibrox in November 2021.
He assisted Davie McCallum and Brian Gilmour for the ill-fated League Cup semi-final against Hibs, before Giovanni van Bronckhorst got his reign underway.
Those experiences have had an impact on Defoe, who now sets out to make a name for himself.
Read Rangers detailed the early signs of identity in his managerial debut at the Surrey club, with Defoe having the final six games of the season to make his initial impression.
What happens next remains to be seen, Defoe is a coup for Woking as much as the club presents a great opportunity for the icon.
He will have relative pressure, but plenty of scope and space to grow.
It will be interesting to follow the fortunes of Jermain Defoe at Woking in the weeks and months ahead.
They host Morecambe on Saturday afternoon in the National League. Kick-off is at 3pm.
