Defoe can leave, but wants to stay

LONDON, England -- England striker Jermain Defoe has said that Tottenham have told him he can leave the club.

He has been unable to command a regular starting place in the side since Juande Ramos came in as manager but says that he wants to stay at White Hart Lane.

Defoe's contract runs out in the summer but he insists that his main objective is to become a first-team regular.

He told The Sun newspaper: "The manager has said I can leave if I want - but I want to prove him wrong. I want to stay here.

"He called me into his office and told me. At first I thought it was a joke, I thought he was going to say I would be starting against Arsenal in the Carling Cup which was why he didn't give me a game against Reading at the weekend.

"But he just said: 'You can leave if you want to.' Yet I have no intentions of leaving this club because I love it here.

"I would love to sign a new contract - and I know people at the top of the club want me to stay.

"But no-one can expect me to sign a new deal if I can't get a game." end E-mail to a friend