Bournemouth have announced they have re-signed Jermain Defoe 16 years after he last played for the club.
Defoe, 34, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal until 2020 after moving to Bournemouth on a free transfer.
The England international had a clause in his Sunderland contract that allowed him to leave the Black Cats for nothing in the event of relegation and Eddie Howe has called this signing a huge moment for the Cherries.
“This is a huge moment for the football club and another step in the right direction,” Howe told the club’s official website. “We want to bring players here who can have a big impact on our continued rise and we believe Jermain fits that as a natural, proven goal scorer.
“We have known him for a long time, since working with him as a young pro and playing him. I have followed his career and am delighted to say he is going to be playing for AFC Bournemouth.”
Defoe spent a season on loan from West Ham when he was a teenager and set a club record of scoring in 10 consecutive league games during that time.
In the last two Premier League campaigns only six players have scored more goals than Defoe (30). Furthermore, Defoe scored a greater proportion of his team's goals than any other player in the Premier League last season (51.7%).
For more stats on Jermain Defoe, click here to visit his WhoScored player pgae
