Woking have appointed former Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe as their new manager.

The role is Defoe’s first permanent managerial position, having previously worked in Tottenham’s academy and been part of Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff at Rangers in a player-coach role.

A Woking FC statement said: “Following a detailed recruitment process, the club identified Defoe as the candidate whose values, leadership style and footballing philosophy best aligned with its long-term vision.”

Woking chairman Todd Johnson said: “Jermain’s achievements as a player speak for themselves, but what stood out to us during the process was how he sees the game, how he drives standards, and his approach to leadership and player development.

“We have a clear plan for where we want to go as a club, and we believe Jermain is the right person to build on the strong foundations already in place and help take us forward in the next phase of that journey.”

Woking director of football Jody Brown added: “Jermain’s love of the game, his determination to succeed and his alignment with our preferred playing philosophy were important.

“These are shared values in terms of the working environment, player development, and high-performance culture.

“He has a real appreciation for the club, the staff, the players, and what we’re building here.”

Defoe said: “Woking is a historic club with huge potential, and I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting project. I can’t wait to get started.”

Defoe will be assisted by former Fulham and Halifax manager Paul Bracewell.

Interim managers Craig Ross and Jake Hyde, who will be in charge for Tuesday’s game at home to Altrincham before Defoe takes over, will remain on the club’s coaching staff.