Priceless Defoe's going nowhere

Jermain Defoe's value to Tottenham lies in his brilliant goalscoring ability and not the price on his head.

The 21-year-old, who joins up with the England squad in Newcastle today, scored a fabulous equaliser in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Liverpool. He has again been linked with a potential bid from Manchester United, whose own problems up front were highlighted in their 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.

But any bid from United, even the £12million one speculated over the weekend, will be rejected. A Spurs spokesperson said: "We have no intention of selling any of our top players. On the contrary, we are in the process of building a team for the future."

The former West Ham striker opened his Premiership account in front of the watching England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and Spurs captain Jamie Redknapp sang his praises.

"Jermain was ready for England in the summer but the manager didn't pick him. He has got so much self-belief. He can do everything.

"He's clever and can score from anywhere, he's the closest thing I've seen to former Arsenal player Ian Wright. I am sure there will be a lot of clubs after him in the next few years. He has been a great signing."