Charlton perfect fit for Jermain Defoe alongside ex-Spurs pal after Rangers exit

Defoe, now 39, was released by Rangers on Wednesday after a three year stay at Ibrox and is now without a club for the remainder of the season.

The striker will be mindful of his next steps in his career as he heads towards retirement - and talkSPORT's Simon Jordan believes Charlton could offer the perfect opportunity.

Defoe began his career at The Valley in Charlton's youth set-up, before controversially moving across London to West Ham at the age of 16 to sign his first professional contract, for which Charlton received £1.65m in compensation.

However, this is not the striker's only link to the South London club.

Defoe previously played with manager Johnnie Jackson at Tottenham and is a former teammate of Addicks' right-back Adam Matthews from his time with Sunderland.

Speaking on Thursday's White and Jordan show, former Crystal Palace chairman Jordan said: "Football is built upon relationships, and he [Defoe] played at Tottenham with Johnnie Jackson, and I assume that there's still a relationship there.

"I think it might be an interesting move if coming back to London is on his agenda to go to Charlton. Now I realise it's League One, it's not necessarily where Jermain might want to play, but he is 39 years of age.

"He's not going to play in the Premier League, with the greatest respect, he might struggle at times to get a full-time gig in the Championship, just purely and simply because it's a hard and fast division.

"Building a career and a management career, coaching career and going into a project with Thomas Sandgaard and with Johnnie Jackson currently in situ, it kind of feels like it might be a fit there."

The Addicks currently sit 14th in League One following a poor start, and despite a potential play-off push looking likely following the rise in form under new boss Jackson, have now scored just once in their last three games.

Charlton's top scorer Jayden Stockley is currently sidelined with a hip injury, so Defoe could prove to be a welcome solution to their goal scoring woes.

In addition to this, first team coach Anthony Hayes has recently returned to coach Charlton's U23s - leaving room for a new member of the Addick's backroom staff.

Speaking to talkSPORT in June, Defoe had said he had been keen to get the wheels in motion to start a career in coaching, but was having second thoughts due to a lack of opportunities for black managers in the sport.

"In terms of managers, I look at the black players for instance, say the John Barnes and Les Ferdinand - who has got an unbelievable role at QPR", the former-Sunderland striker explained, "But he's the only black person who has got that sort of power in the whole of football, when you look at it.

"So of course it makes you look and think 'Is it worth me doing my coaching badges as realistically am I going to get an opportunity, so that was my thinking."

Charlton previously won promotion to the Championship as well as reaching the FA Cup quarter finals under current Tottenham and England coach Chris Powell, who was the club's first black manager.

The Addicks will be looking for a new striker in their bid to avoid a below-par finish in League One this window, so bringing Defoe back to the club he began his footballing career with could be the perfect solution for all.