Defoe promised a chance

New Spurs coach Juande Ramos has promised Jermain Defoe that he could still get in the first team - but he must battle hard for a starting berth in the side ahead of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.

"I always say the players pick and drop themselves with their behaviour and efforts," the Spaniard told the Daily Mirror.

"If Defoe shows me he deserves time on the pitch he will get it, if not I will start with somebody else."

Ramos accepts that he will not have much time to settle in gently as it is imperative Tottenham start to climb the table quickly.

"I knew what to expect when I decided to come here," he explained.

"I knew the team had problems and there is also an enormous change in my life by leaving Spain.

"But nothing fazes me. What I have to do is to try to reverse the situation as soon as possible so the team finds itself in a more comfortable situation."