Foot injury turned into welcome break for revitalised Defoe

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The Tottenham striker has been in outstanding form in the early weeks of the season, scoring six goals in eight matches for his club, as well as three in as many games for England.

He has linked up superbly with Robbie Keane in attack, keeping Peter Crouch on the subs' bench.

Shortly after rejoining Spurs from Portsmouth for £15million last January, Defoe suffered a broken metatarsal which kept him on the sidelines for 11 weeks - but the 26-year-old feels his enforced absence from the first team has worked in his favour.

"I look back now on my broken metatarsal and actually think it was one of the best things that could have happened," said Defoe.

"It meant I missed 11 weeks at the start of this year, and at the time it was bad news given that we were still in the middle of a relegation battle, but in the long-term that rest I had was invaluable.

"Over the years I've always been lucky with injuries, which means I've been used to playing pretty consistently throughout the season.

"Summer breaks these days are often no more than a few weeks, so I've always come straight back into the groove when the new campaign starts without ever having an extended break before pre-season.

"I did make it back towards the end of last season but it wasn't more than a month or so before the summer break came along, so then I had another long period of winding down.

"During the summer I started feeling that, for the first time since the start of my career, I was really getting back to being totally fresh and in perfect physical health - it was incredible.

"I feel that extra month or so has made all the difference and I think that's the reason I'm now producing the best form of my life," he added in Hotspur magazine.

Defoe gave Spurs more cause for worry when he was forced off with a dislocated finger during Saturday's 5-0 win over Burnley at White Hart Lane, but the former West Ham man is expected to be available to boss Harry Redknapp for Saturday's trip to Bolton.

* Full interview in October's issue of Hotspur magazine which is now on sale.