DEFOE:WE CAN’TBE OBSESSED WITH 10

JERMAIN DEFOE believes Rangers’ best shot of stopping Celtic winning 10 in a row is to ignore their rivals’ historic title bid.

The veteran striker called on his team-mates to solely focus on creating their own Ibrox legacy as they aim to leave Neil Lennon’s side empty handed.

Rangers are set to return to training ahead of the new season and Defoe said: “Even when I first signed that was the main goal to be honest. At the end of the day, it’s not about stopping Celtic or whoever it is, it’s us becoming champions and doing something special as a group.

“It’s a massive football club and the demands are you have to win trophies, you look at all the great players before us and what they have achieved.

“And, of course, one day when you leave this football club, you want to be able to look back and say ‘I was part of something special, and this is what we won’.

“If you’re not thinking along those lines then you shouldn’t be playing.”

The one-year deal 37-year-old Defoe penned back in January is about to kick in ahead of the new campaign and the English ace admits he has one eye on what comes next as his distinguished playing career nears its conclusion.

Defoe has been a vocal supporter of coaches from an ethnic minority earning a chance in the sport and hopes the Black Lives Matter campaign leads to significant reform within the beautiful game.

He told talkSPORT: “When you look around, Les Ferdinand said about lip service, it is so true. Throughout my whole career, all these campaigns like ‘Kick It Out’ and when you meet up pre-season and you hold up the cards.

“All these years of doing all these things and let’s be honest, has anything changed?

“With managers, I look at the players I looked up to, John Barnes, Ian Wright, Andy Cole. All the legends, icons of the game that are not involved in football.

“You look at the managers and the black coaches, it makes you think is it worth me doing my coaching badges? That was my thinking.”