Jermain Defoe insists he never wanted to leave Tottenham for Portsmouth and is now determined to make the most of his second spell at White Hart Lane.

Defoe left Spurs just under a year ago at a time when Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane were above him in the pecking order - but he is now expected to be one of the first names on Harry Redknapp's team sheet.

The England striker was paraded on the pitch to fans before Spurs' 4-1 Carling Cup win over Burnley.

A jubilant Defoe said: "It's great to be back and I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's hard to put it in words, it's brilliant.

"A number of things made me return. Obviously everyone knows the manager was a major factor. My family still live in London and the fans were a factor too - you can tell by the reception I got.

"I never wanted to leave, but as a professional there comes a time when you think you need to move on. I did in order to improve my England career."

Spurs boss Redknapp, who was in charge at Pompey when Defoe moved to Fratton Park, will still have money to spend in the January transfer window despite Defoe's £15 million fee.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will continue negotiating for players such as Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing, with boss Redknapp wanting "three or four players" to bolster his squad for the second half of the season.

Redknapp said: "We need a certain type here - we have got an awful lot of good little players, but we need more strength and a bit more power in the team."

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