Redknapp: Defoe is heading to South Africa
Jermain Defoe's five goals against Wigan make him a certainty for World Cup squad, Harry Redknapp says
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Jermain Defoe has booked his place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad with his five-goal haul against Wigan, Harry Redknapp has said.
The Tottenham Hotspur manager described the 27-year-old as England's best finisher after he became only the third player in Premier League history to score five in one match.
Speaking after Spurs' 9-1 demolition of Wigan at White Hart Lane, Redknapp said: "He's an amazing finisher. When you look at England strikers, Wayne Rooney's fantastic - a complete all-round player - but as a finisher, Defoe is the best out there.
"I'm sure he'll go to the World Cup," Redknapp continued. "Fabio Capello will see the goals he's scored, the way he's got stronger this season and is using his upper body strength a bit more and holding people off, and he will be impressed.
"This could be a great season for him."
Defoe, who missed out on Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad in 2006 to Theo Walcott, is competing for one of four or five spots for striker's in England manager Capello's 23-man squad.
One of those will definitely taken by Rooney, with Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole, Emile Heskey, Darren Bent, Michael Owen and Walcott competing for the others.
Defoe, 27, is now the Premier League's top scorer after yesterday's five-goal blitz. Only Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole have scored give goals in a Premier League match.
Yesterday's win, which also saw goals from Crouch, Aaron, Aaron Lennon, Niko Kranjcar and an own-goal by luckless Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkand, saw Spurs regain fourth spot in the league with 25 points from 13 games.
Archrivals Arsenal are in third on the same number of points, but the Gunners have played one less game.