Jermain Defoe reveals freezing cryotherapy chamber sessions are helping him stay young but his mum is ruining vegan diet by serving up meat
JERMAIN DEFOE has found out the secret to eternal youth . . . and he is not enjoying it!
The veteran Sunderland striker is defying the ageing process by going back to the Ice Age — or, to give it its technical name, the cryotherapy chamber.
But the pain has been worth it, as he is now back in England’s World Cup plans at the age of 34.
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And Defoe celebrated his return from almost four years on the international scrapheap with England’s opener in the 2-0 win over Lithuania.
Sunday’s opportunist strike was his first for the Three Lions since he scored twice in an 8-0 victory in San Marino back in March 2013.
It was a well-deserved reward for his refusal to give up hope of representing his country again and the gruelling regime he has pushed himself through to achieve his ambition.
Now the Sunderland striker is daring to dream of being part of Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad in Russia next year.
But that means another 18 months of punishment and self-denial for the former Spurs and West Ham star.
He said: “The intensity of the modern game means the physical demands on the players are so high these days.
“For me, it is all about recovery and how I look after myself between matches — and I seem to have got that to a tee. But it’s not easy.
There’s a lot of things I do away from training and playing that help me to perform on a match day.
“I have a better understanding of my body thanks to all the sports science and I know when I need to have a rest day and when I need to work hard.
“I spend a lot of time in freezing temperatures in a cryotherapy chamber, which is not fun.
“I have a lot of massages and ice baths, which I don’t want but I know that I’ll be rewarded at the weekend.
“I’m also trying to turn vegan, which is a funny one because whenever I go to my mum’s, she’s got every meat you can imagine out.
“My girlfriend puts on these documentaries about meat and said I have to go vegan.
“It helps to have her around to drive me on but it’s not easy.
“I still eat a lot of fish and I’m feeling good. I’m not fatiguing towards the end of games and I’m feeling fresh and sharp, so I’ll continue to do it.
“It’s just a case of trying to tick every box so I can continue playing for as long as possible.
“Nothing is too hard for me as I know the feeling I get scoring goals still outweighs all the negatives.
“I’ve never been a person who wants something on a plate, I always want to work hard for it.”
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Defoe, who has banged in 14 Premier League goals for the struggling Black Cats this term, became the sixth-oldest scorer in England’s history on Sunday.
Yet he believes there are still plenty more goals to come. And he is convinced he is finally going to get a fair crack of the whip from Southgate, after being overlooked by previous England boss Roy Hodgson.
Defoe admitted: “It broke my heart when I was left out of the squad for the Euros last year because I felt I’d done enough to be involved.
“I’m not talking about being in the starting team, just being part of the squad and having the opportunity to work with players of that quality.
“I love playing for my country. It keeps the fire in my belly and I never once thought about retiring from international football.
“I always thought that I could still score goals at this level but I was trying to be realistic and, with the previous manager, it didn’t feel like I was getting an opportunity.
“There were times when I was scoring goals, especially last season when I finished the campaign really well, and I still didn’t get selected for the Euros.
“I didn’t get a call from the manager. I saw it on the telly that I wasn’t in the squad.
“It’s been different with Gareth. He called me for a five-minute chat and told me, ‘Even if you’re not in the squad, I’ll still phone you’.
“Players appreciate that. You have a conversation with the manager and you understand his decisions and maybe what you need to do to get into the next squad.”
Three Lions boss Southgate is not short of faith in Defoe — and said on Sunday he would have bet his house on him marking his England return with a goal.
And Defoe admitted: “I’m not going to lie, I was just as confident. I worked hard all week in training, did a lot of finishing and prepared myself in the right way.
“With the quality of players around me, I knew I’d get the chance to score. I told the lads before the game that I’d get a chance with the cut-back in the box and that’s exactly what happened.”
And Defoe revealed he felt a special responsibility to score after leading the team out with his little pal Bradley Lowery, the terminally ill five-year-old Sunderland fan who has captured the hearts of the nation.
He said: “I had to score for little Brad. All my family were there, it was Mothers’ Day and Bradley led the team out.
“It’s special days like that which make all the hard work worthwhile. Moments like that make me feel so proud.
“My mum has always said that it’s not how you start a career, it’s how you finish it.
“I’m back in the England squad at 34 and scoring for my country again. It doesn’t get any better than this.”