Published: 29 November, 2012
OFF THE SHELF with DAN CARRIER

ANDRE Villas-Boas praised Jermain Defoe after the striker scored a double to sink West Ham on Sunday, saying: “You’re my number one hit man.”

The boss was full of compliments for the forward, who netted a contender for goal-of-the-season as Spurs ran out 3-1 winners at White Hart Lane, ending a run of three league defeats in a row.

“His hunger for goals is incredible,” Villas-Boas said. “Jermain knows how to score goals. He has been doing it for all of his life.” He added that he thought Defoe was as good as Atletico Madrid striker Falcao, who played for AVB in Portugal.

The Tottenham manager also said that there was no chance former boss Harry Redknapp, recently installed at QPR, would get his hands on Defoe in January. “That is absolutely impossible. We have belief in him.”

The win over West Ham also saw the return of Michael Dawson to the first team.

Mousa Dembele made a second-half appearance, and both Scott Parker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are back in training – giving AVB a timely fillip before the busy Christmas period.

Meanwhile, the performances of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris means Brad Friedel’s illustrious Premiership career looks likely to be coming to an end. Lloris played a blinder against the Hammers – and according to newspapers in Lancashire, Friedel will return to his former club Blackburn Rovers in January.