Prem striker may have to leave

Sunderland striker Jermaine Defoe has admitted that if he is to maintain his place in the England squad past this season, he may have to leave the Black Cats. Defoe has received his first England call up since 2013 recently, after Gareth Southgate selected his squad for the upcoming fixtures against Germany and Lithuania. 

Sunderland are currently sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table, seven points from safety, with ten games to go. Despite their struggles, Defoe has still managed to score fourteen league goals this season. That form has seen him earn a well deserved call up into Southgate's squad. 

The experienced attacker has scored nineteen goals in his fifty five previous appearances for the Three Lions, which includes appearances at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 

In a quote included by the Telegraph this evening, Defoe expressed that to maintain his place in Southgate's plans for the coming years he would "probably need to be playing in the Premier League, but we will have to see what happens." That won't sound promising for Sunderland fans, who if relegated, may well see their star striker leave too. 

Defoe speaks from experience, after having missed out on selection for the 2014 World Cup during his time with MLS club Toronto. Now that he has found himself back in contention, he will be desperate to stay their by firing Sunderland to Premier League survival in the closing stages of the season.