"OH MY god," says Jermain Defoe - and with that he's off, regaling the tale of the "best goal I've ever scored".

It just so happens that the anniversary was this week. Yesterday, in fact. Nine years ago, the dying seconds of the first half of the 140th Wear-Tyne derby, Costel Pantilimon's long-ball, Steven Fletcher's header and a Defoe thunderbolt that will undoubtedly continue to stand the test of time when it comes to the great Stadium of Light moments.

"I was going to take a touch and the only reason I hit it first time was because I was so tired," recalls the striker, speaking to The Northern Echo at the launch of the Jermain Defoe Academy at East Durham College.

"We played 4-3-3 under Dick Advocaat and I played left off Fletch but because of the importance of the game, I was doing more running than I normally do, I was running around everywhere because I wanted to win so bad – just unnecessary running.

"It was a goal-kick and Fletch just flicked it and I remember just watching it and thought ‘I’m just going to hit it because I’m knackered’ but as I’ve made contact and it was one of those where when you make contact you know, I just thought ‘oh my god,’ it was that perfect contact. It hit the top corner and I couldn’t believe it."

Neither could Tim Krul - who told Defoe as much in the tunnel as the players made their way off for half-time moments later.

"After the game, Newcastle fans were hammering him because they were losing 1-0 and he’s put his arm around me," says Defoe.

"To be fair to him, he just said ‘you’ve done me there."

The emotions were very different for Defoe and Sunderland in January when Newcastle coasted to victory on Wearside. Defoe was there that day as a supporter but watching through the eyes of a manager. That's how he takes games in now - at least it is when he's sat in the stands. What he would do differently? How would his team set-up and look and play if he was in the dugout?

"This is how I watch games," he says.

"I’m not going to say what I would have done differently in that (Sunderland vs Newcastle) game because I’m never going to disrespect someone like Mick Beale, who is someone who has helped me so much in the short-term. But I think every manager and every fan does it."

Defoe won't have a bad word said about Beale, who was his coach and became a friend at Rangers - but why didn't it work out for him at Sunderland?

"I loved Mick at Rangers," he says.

"You talk about detail and for me, even at the back end of my career, I learned a lot from him. You go into an environment and think you know the game but I spent a lot of time sitting with Mick. It was around lockdown and we’d have voice notes that were five minutes long about football and his journey, coaching young players and what you need to do, stuff that you don’t think about as a player.

"I’ve always thought that if you put on a session that you just stand there and coach, but even little things like your position. When I started I would go onto the pitch and stand in the number nine position because that’s what I’m used to. Mick told me to change my position so you can see everything."

Did Beale reach out to Defoe before and during his time in charge of Sunderland?

"Yeah, because he wanted to do well," he says.

"He spoke about the club, the expectation, the demand from the fans, everything. He was so desperate to do well and he’s a confident guy. He’s coached for 20-odd years. He told me at Rangers that I could be a manager now, and that if he was my assistant, he said ‘you just tell me how you want to play and I’ll deliver it’.

"I know if I get a job that I will need experience around me. People like Paul Bracewell, who have been around the club and coached. These kinds of people will help."

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Defoe isn't short of help in ensuring he's fully equipped for a managerial opportunity he's desperate for and is certain will come. He's spent time picking the brains of Gareth Southgate, Antonio Conte, Vincent Kompany and Steven Gerrard among others. He backs himself as he always has done, but admits: "It's hard. It always has been, in terms of black managers. 

"I think it's 4.4% or whatever it is. I don't think that should stop me from wanting to go down that route. I love football, everyone knows that, I've always loved football. I was lucky enough to have a good career and then you finish football and for me that transition has been quite smooth because I went straight into coaching.

"When you're coaching in the academy it's great because you can make your mistakes and learn, but just that importance of getting three points on a weekend. I miss that feeling. Hopefully I can get an opportunity at some stage.

"I talked to Gareth (Southgate) about his journey at Middlesbrough, 35, going from being captain to all of a sudden getting a call in the summer asking him to become manager. Everyone's journey is different. If I got an opportunity, I wouldn't shy away from it, let's go."

The dream for Defoe would be taking charge of Sunderland - a club and an area he quickly fell in love with when he first joined back in 2015.

"I remember when I signed saying to my family members it reminded me of East London, that hard work ethic." he says.

"I realised the people up here, they work hard, buy their season tickets, come and watch the team. The level of support is incredible. I fell in love with the place."

Sunderland's fans made and left a mark on Defoe - no-one more so than Bradley Lowery.

"Before I met Bradley I went through some stuff with my family and lost people close to me," he says.

"I wouldn't say I was prepared, that's the wrong word, but when I met Bradley, when I think about it now I think that was always going to happen. I don't think that's a coincidence, I think it was always going to happen and I felt like I was in a position where I could help him.

"I understood what the family was going through. It was tough, of course, but I think my role was to try and put a smile on his face. "Whether that was going to the hospital to see him, I went to his birthday party, I knew when I was around him he was happy and smiling. My role was to be there for him and the family.

"I have so many amazing memories of things we did. The birthday party was brilliant. The inevitable was so tough to take, kids don't really understand what's going on and don't get a chance at life, but for me to be there and have the memories, I'll hold onto them memories for ever.

"It was an incredibly hard time but a special time."

Special is how Defoe looks back on his time at Sunderland in general - and he wanted to give something back to an area that gave him so much. That's why he was back in the North East this week to launch the Jermain Defoe Academy at East Durham College, giving students an opportunity to progress as footballers and thrive academically.

"It was something I've always thought about doing," says Defoe.

"Even when I was a player, my association with the football club. I'm a patron of the Bradley Lowery Foundation. I fell in love with the place when I came up here. I've always wanted to give back and I thought to do something like this would be special."

Defoe was speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo at the launch of The Jermain Defoe Academy at East Durham College. To find out more about the Academy and how to apply before the first course in September 2024, head to www.edc.ac.uk.