Steven Gerrard tried to make my Liverpool transfer happen twice but it failed

Defoe's sharp eye for goal, especially during his prime years with the likes of West Ham and Tottenham, attracted attention from big Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United.

The 43-year-old revealed recently that Liverpool made two attempts to sign him, with captain Gerrard and Jamie Carragher instrumental in the Reds’ pursuit of their England team-mate. Liverpool were first keen to sign Defoe from Tottenham during Rafael Benitez’s tenure in 2006, potentially as part of a deal involving Djibril Cisse, which did not amount to anything.

A more serious deadline day pursuit in January 2012 also saw Sir Kenny Dalglish look to land Defoe, with Liverpool struggling for goals and Defoe falling down the pecking order at White Hart Lane. Defoe requested a loan move to Anfield but then-Spurs manager Harry Redknapp blocked it.

For reasons the striker still cannot fully comprehend, a transfer to Liverpool - or indeed any of the other major English clubs - never came to fruition, which remains one of his greatest professional disappointments.

Defoe told William Hill’s podcast, The Warm-Up: "I get asked about why I didn’t sign for the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea or Man United a lot. The other day I bumped into a Liverpool fan and he asked, 'What happened in that year you were meant to come to us?'"

He went on to say: "There was always speculation, even when I was at West Ham, about joining Man United. I spoke with Patrice Evra recently and he also asked, ‘What happened when you were meant to sign for us? Sir Alex Ferguson was talking about you!’ I don’t know what happened in the end.

"I do think about it a lot. If I’d gone to the likes of Man United, who create more chances in a game, then I’d have scored even more goals. But for whatever reason, it just never happened."

Speaking about his links with Liverpool, Defoe continued: "It is frustrating though, because whenever I talk to some of the boys that played for these big clubs, they all say that they wanted me to come. I got offers from Liverpool twice. I think Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were involved in that, while Kenny Dalglish was manager.

"I also got a call from an agent who wanted to take me to Juventus, but I’d already agreed to go back to Tottenham under Harry Redknapp in 2009."

Despite never fulfilling his dream of playing for one of the big clubs, Defoe forged an outstanding career at West Ham, Spurs, Portsmouth, Sunderland and Bournemouth. He netted 162 Premier League goals - placing him 10th on the all-time scoring charts.

Yet, in stark contrast to Ferguson's trophy-laden United sides and Gerrard-led Liverpool, major honours passed him by, with only the League Cup in 2008 to show for his efforts in English football.

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