Spurs striker back on O'Neill's radar

Aug 23 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

MARTIN O'Neill could be set to reignite his interest in Jermain Defoe with the England striker believed to be reviewing his situation at Spurs.

Defoe has seen precious little action this season, making three substitute appearances which have amounted to just 56 minutes in the Premier League so far.

The fact that Martin Jol looks set to keep his job for the time being at least is thought to have increased Defoe's frustrations and could pave the way for a £15million exit.

Defoe played just 14 minutes against Derby, even though Dimitar Berbatov was injured. He played 29 minutes against Everton and 13 minutes against Sunderland.

O'Neill remains adamant he will bring in the players he wants as he arrows in on Albion's Curtis Davies and a right-back.

"We will have the players in - that's the point. We do not want to be left short," said O'Neill. "I am trying to look for as much quality as I possibly can for the future of the football club.

"We will still get the squad in here that is able to contest. I have said all along that I want to build a competetive squad.

"I hope to do that over the course of time, but certainly I would like to get some players in between now and the transfer deadline because I do not want to suffer the potential of the November-December situation where we just didn't have the squad last year."

Meanwhile, ex-Villa man Aaron Hughes has been robbed of a chance of facing Villa with Fulham on Saturday.

The defender injured ankle ligaments last week, but Martin O'Neill nevertheless paid tribute to the Northern Ireland skipper.

"Aaron never caused a moments' bother here," he said. "He was absolutely the ideal professional. I would have preferred him still to be here, but I couldn't guarantee him playing every week."

O'Neill has been left without a recognised right-back following Mark Delaney's retirment and Phil Bardsley's loan not being taken up.

But he insists he could not stand in Hughes' way of first-team football, just as he could not deter Steven Davis from making the same move.

"At the time when he was vying for the position with Phil Bardsley there was no rush to send Aaron out of the door," said O'Neill. "But when Fulham came knocking he felt there was a possibility of getting games in. He knew Lawrie Sanchez from the Northern Ireland set-up.

"If there was ever a time to use the old cliche 'the model professional', that was him."