Jermain Defoe hopes to inspire other black coaches.
Jermain Defoe is hoping to inspire other black coaches in football
The Sky Sports pundit is now an academy coach at Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur - who scored 143 goals in 363 appearances for - and he has revealed that he has been encouraged into coaching by predecessors such as Chris Hughton and Ledley King and hopes to do the same for future generations.
In a conversation with Britain's former NFL star Jack Crawford to discuss their background and fighting discrimination for the Premier League's No Room For Racism campaign, Defoe said: "They probably thought, 'I don't know if I should do that.'
"But when you see someone else from the same background get given the opportunity, (they'll think) 'Yeah, I can do this.' That's exactly what happens."
The pair met at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has been hosting NFL games this month, and Crawford reflected on how far society has advanced in recent years to give sportspeople equal opportunities.
The former Dallas Cowboys star – who grew up in London before moving to the United States – said: "It's important to look at how far we've come.
"You (Defoe) didn't have to do anything to break barriers, apart from be good at football.
"But (it's great) having kids of all backgrounds, of all races watching you play, saying 'I want to be like Jermain Defoe.'"
Defore and Crawford also discussed the racist abuse that Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were subjected to after missing penalties for England in the Euro 2020 final and the NFL star reflected on the leading roles that three black players had for their country.
He said: "It rested on their shoulders. If you look at the bigger picture, it is representation and shows the value of how far we have come."
Defoe explained that he was proud of the way the nation "came together" to support the trio.
He said: "The fact that everyone came together to support them was one of the best things that happened that summer."