Slav hands Hammers a striker warning

Slaven Bilic has warned that Jermain Defoe is the top player in and around the penalty area.

The 34 year old scored 15 goals  in the Premier League last season and almost single-handedly saved Sunderand from drop.

Defoe looked to have left the PL behind him when moving into  major League Soccer with Toronto but has come back more dangerous than ever according to Bilic.

He said: “He came back maybe better than before, which is amazing.

“I spoke with Niko Kranjcar, my midfield player for Croatia — he played with Jermain at Portsmouth and Spurs and as a No.10 he played with some top strikers.

“He told me that, by far, the best movement was from Jermain Defoe, and you can see that when you’re watching the game, when you’re analysing the opponent – the freshness is there. His finishing, it’s absurd. So he’s still a great player.”