Arabic version: جيرمين ديفو يترك منصب مدرب ووكينغ بعد أربعة أشهر

According to BBC News, former England striker Jermain Defoe has left his role as Woking manager after four months and six National League matches in charge. The 43-year-old had been appointed in March as Neal Ardley’s replacement.

Woking confirmed on Thursday that the club and Defoe had “mutually agreed to part ways with immediate effect”. His departure comes two weeks before Woking are due to open the new campaign against Sutton United.

Defoe won two of his six league games and guided Woking to a 10th-placed finish last season. His ninth and final match in charge was Tuesday’s 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat by Braintree Town, one of three pre-season friendlies.

In an Instagram post, Defoe described his first managerial post as an “eye-opening experience”. He said circumstances had made it impossible for him to continue, while adding that he was proud of the work completed during his time at the club and felt Woking were building something special.

Defoe retired in 2022 after scoring 305 goals in 763 senior appearances for clubs including West Ham, Tottenham, Portsmouth and Sunderland. He scored 20 goals in 57 international appearances for England and featured at the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship. Before taking the Woking job, he was part of an interim coaching staff at Rangers in 2021 and later worked in the Spurs academy, leaving in 2024 to pursue a full-time managerial role.