Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe has revealed just how close he came to taking a very different path in his career, admitting he nearly joined Juventus instead of returning to Spurs.Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with several top-class strikers over the years, with the likes of Harry Kane, Dimitar Berbatov and Jermain Defoe among the finest to represent the club.Defoe stands out as a player who, while not a one-club man, spent several of the best years of his career in north London with Spurs.It is no surprise that he managed a whopping 143 goals in 362 appearances after spending the years 2004-2008 and 2009-2014 at the club.Credit: Tony Mureithi / @tonym_visuals / @tonym_visualssportsTottenham return almost never happened for Jermain DefoeThe Englishman is now retired from playing, but is in management as head coach of Woking FC, who play in the National League, the fifth tier of English football.It remains to be seen whether Defoe will return to Spurs in some managerial capacity in the future, just as he did after departing the club in 2008.Speaking to the iPaper, Defoe has now revealed that his return to Tottenham very nearly did not happen, with Juventus keen on securing his signature at the time.Explaining how close he came to joining the Italian giants, while also revealing why he ultimately honoured the agreement he had already made with Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy, Defoe said: “I got a call from an agent in, I think it was 2008, when I went back to Tottenham about Juventus. But because I already told Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy I was going back to Tottenham, I was just waiting for the deal to get done.“I think it was just principle, really. If you shake hands with someone, say, ‘Okay, then I’m coming back to Tottenham’, then you should.“I know players do it, but to change my mind at the last minute and say ‘OK, I’m going to Juventus,’ I just don’t think I could have done it at the time.”Jermain Defoe reflects on his favourite Tottenham seasonWhile the forward did not win any silverware during his time at Tottenham, he clearly looks back on his spell at the club with great affection.Speaking to the iPaper, Defoe also reflected on the period he considers the peak of his Spurs career, explaining why that campaign remains so special to him and recalling the confidence and form that made him feel virtually unstoppable. He added: “The 2009-10 season at Tottenham. We qualified for the Champions League that year, and I went to the World Cup. I was playing some of the best football of my career, in terms of goals and how I felt physically. I scored five goals against Wigan Athletic.“As players and athletes, you know when you’re in the zone, when you feel invincible, like it doesn’t matter who you play against, you always fancy yourself and back yourself. I was in that mode.”READ MORE: Former Tottenham academy graduate set for Cagliari move after second straight relegationThe post ‘I got a call from Juventus in 2008 but I had already given my word to Tottenham Hotspur’ appeared first on Spurs Web.