Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp salutes hat-trick man Jermain Defoe
Published 00:03 20/08/09 By By Darren Lewis
Harry Redknapp last night saluted red-hot Jermain Defoe after the Spurs striker smashed a superb hat-trick.
The England and ex-West Ham man swooped twice in the first-half and again in injury time to sink sorry Hull and leave Tottenham sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League.
Redknapp said: “Defoe looked almost unplayable. His form at the moment is absolutely electric and he looks as strong as I have ever seen him.
“He was 14 when I first signed him. I had him at Portsmouth last year and he looks a lot stronger boy now. He holds people off better.
“He's done a lot of work in the gym and strengthened up with the fitness coaches and I think it's made him even more explosive.
“He's got a little bit more power and strength in his upper body. It's helped him an awful lot and he looks in unbelievable form at the moment.”
Redknapp takes Spurs to his old club West Ham on Sunday and added: “It's nice to have a good start but it's only two games. We've got to keep going.”
Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes left with a thigh injury in the first half and the Spurs boss said: "We will have to wait and see if he is going to be out long term.
“If he is we will have to look at that because that only leaves me (Carlo) Cudicini.”
Defeat for Hull stretched the club's winless run to 13 games and capped a miserable day for boss Phil Brown.
Hours before kickoff the Tigers boss was finally snubbed by Real Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo who kept the Humberside club waiting for two days - after a £12million fee had been agreed - before opting to join Real Fociedad instead.
Brown was also forced to put on a brave face after a humiliating snub from striker Daniel Cousin, who blanked him after being replaced on 21 minutes.
He said: “I didn't bring him off, the players who let the side down brought him off. He is obviously disappointed.”
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