Jermain Defoe leaves Woking after four-month spell, calls role an "eye-opening experience"

Jermain Defoe has departed National League club Woking after a four-month spell as manager. The former England and Tottenham striker described his first job in management as an "eye-opening experience" following his exit after nine matches in charge.

Defoe's appointment at Woking marked his initial foray into first-team management after a decorated playing career at club and international level. The National League club gave him the opportunity to lead the side, but his time at the helm lasted only four months. During that period he oversaw nine competitive fixtures before stepping away from the role.

The announcement of his departure confirmed that Defoe will not continue in the managerial position at Woking. He framed the experience in personal terms, calling it an "eye-opening experience" in reference to the demands and realities of coaching a senior team. The statement underscores the brief and formative nature of this appointment in his transition from player to coach.

As a former England international and long-serving striker for Tottenham Hotspur, Defoe's move into management drew attention when he took the Woking job. The short tenure — nine matches — means his first managerial chapter ended quickly, and the facts of his time there are succinct: four months in charge at a National League side.

There has been no additional public detail in this report about the circumstances surrounding the exit or about any immediate next steps for Defoe or Woking. The central points remain that the role was his first as a manager, it lasted four months, and he led the team in nine matches before departing.

Defoe himself summed up the experience with the phrase "eye-opening experience," and that assessment accompanies the factual record of his brief tenure at Woking.