Defoe 'ineligible' to face old club

Updated 11.34 Fri Mar 21 2008

Keywords: Portsmouth, Tottenham, Jermain Defoe

Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe has been denied the chance to face Tottenham this weekend after the Premier League ruled him ineligible to play.

The 25-year-old moved from Spurs on the last day of the transfer window but the deal was rushed through as a loan before he signed as a Pompey player early in February.

"A player who is taken on loan and then during the course of the transfer window, if that loan is made permanent, he is not allowed to play against the team who originally loaned him" - FA spokesman

The rules were changed at the Premier League AGM last summer following the situation that arose last season when Tim Howard made his loan from Manchester United to Everton a permanent deal.

The goalkeeper was a regular for Everton but did not play against United in April due to a gentleman's agreement, with Sir Alex Ferguson's men claiming maximum points after a mistake from reserve stopper Iain Turner.

A Premier League spokesman said: "The rules are clear. A player who is taken on loan even if that deal is made permanent, may not play against the team who originally loaned him."

Although the vote was unanimous, Spurs and Pompey did not appear to publicly acknowledge Defoe's absence until the eve of the clash at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

A Portsmouth FC spokesman said: "Clearly we are not happy about the situation and were under the impression it only applied to goalkeepers, following a similar situation last year with Tim Howard playing for Everton against Manchester United.

"Jermain was only signed on a loan deal due to time restraints on transfer deadline day and the deal was made permanent soon after."