Graham Roberts insists that Jermain Defoe can become a manager after signing a new contract at Rangers.

The striker has penned a new one-year deal at Ibrox, giving him the chance to move into a player and coach role with the Scottish champions.

Defoe has been with the club since 2019, having initially moved to the club on loan from AFC Bournemouth.

That deal was made permanent in 2020 and he has made a total of 72 appearances for the club, scoring 32 goals and laying on 10 assists.

He will now take his first steps into coaching as a member of Steven Gerrard’s backroom team, while also hoping to score goals on the pitch.

And Roberts, who played for both Rangers and Defoe’s former club Tottenham Hotspur, responded when asked if he could go on to see the striker become a full-time manager.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I suppose you can, I think everybody goes in with a chance of being a manager.

“He’d have to get a good backroom staff in with him, it’s not about mates, it’s about people that know their job, so he has to get rid of those mates that think he’s going to look after them and get people you can trust in there.”

Defoe made 362 appearances for Spurs, scoring 143 goals and laying on 31 assists.