Keane has a place in 100 club ... and steals Defoe's limelight

On Saturday, Ramos handed him the captain's armband for the visit of Sunderland. Delighted by the honour, Defoe nevertheless admitted he was struggling to understand the rationale.

Scroll down to read more:

"It was a mad one, really." said Defoe. "It was a bit embarrassing because I knew the boys would give me stick.

"I was getting a massage when the manager came in and said, 'How do you feel about being captain?' When someone says that, for a club like this, it's amazing."

Whatever the psychology behind his decision, Ramos was certainly not letting on. "Someone had to be captain,' was all the Spaniard would say.

The manager's apparent climbdown after saying Defoe had no future at White Hart Lane was perplexing for the striker, but the former West Ham hit-man reasoned: "People say things when they are a little bit down or upset, he pulled me the next day and said he didn't mean it. He said he wanted me to stay at this club and get goals and achieve something special.

"He's a good manager with great ideas so it's good. He was honest with me. I said to him, 'What do you think? Am I part of it?' He said, 'Yes, you are definitely part of it. If you get a chance, take it.'"

Unfortunately for Defoe, when the chance came to put paid to a stirring Sunderland fightback it was his replacement Robbie Keane who took it with his 100th goal in a Spurs shirt.

Aaron Lennon's opener after 112 seconds dismantled Sunderland's early gameplan. But after weathering a first-half storm, a switch to 4-4-2 by Roy Keane saw Sunderland force two stunning saves from Radek Cerny after the break.

However, Tottenham's Keane was not to be denied the chance to reprise his gunslinger celebration. And when Sunderland's defence dithered in stoppage time, the Republic of Ireland striker sealed the win, courtesy of a howler from the otherwise impeccable Craig Gordon.

Once upon a time, Keane's future at Spurs was the subject of the kind of speculation now focusing on Defoe, Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent.

"I'm happy to be sitting in the background, no problem,' said Keane. 'Ask any player: they don't like sitting on the bench and I'm no different."

Tottenham's One Hundred Club now numbers 15 and Keane has joined legendary names Glenn Hoddle, Teddy Sheringham, Martin Chivers and, with a seemingly unsurpassable 266 goals, Jimmy Greaves.

Defoe, with 64 goals for Spurs, has not given up hope of adding his name to that list, but Keane is certain to partner Berbatov in attack in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal tomorrow night.

Spurs fans were still chanting 'There's only one Keano' as his namesake gave his post-match press conference.

"That's for me isn't it?" quipped Sunderland boss Roy. "I said it was only a matter of time before he got the 100 goals and I'm sure he'll be buying our defenders a drink because they let him walk through them."

The result left Sunderland in the bottom three on goal difference and still looking for their first three points on the road.

"There have been one or two decent away performances but the results have been particularly disappointing," admitted Keane. "Our home record has kept us in touch, thank God."