Defoe rocked by death of another relative: Spurs striker exits States tour to return home

Jermain Defoe has been given leave to return home from Tottenham's tour of the United States following the death of his cousin.

 Hannah Defoe died while on holiday in St Lucia, it was revealed on the club's official website.

 'Everyone at the club sends their sincere condolences to Jermain and his family and all our thoughts are with them at this sad time,' read a statement.

 The club have granted the 29-year-old compassionate leave from the remainder of the tour following the death of his cousin, Hannah Defoe, who passed away while on holiday in St Lucia.

 The tragedy struck just weeks after Defoe left the England camp during Euro 2012 following the death of his father.

 Defoe returned to England during the tournament after his father Jimmy died following a long fight with throat cancer.

 And the Spurs striker was rocked by the death of his half-brother Jade in 2009.

 Jade Defoe, 26, fell into a coma following a street attack in Leytonstone, east London, and died in April 2009.

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Defoe returns to England following father's death

The forward has left the Three Lions' base camp in Poland but will return "in due course", with no replacement call-up planned, according to the Football Association.

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe left England’s Euro 2012 training camp in Poland on Thursday morning following the death of his father on Wednesday night. The 49-year-old Jimmy Defoe is thought to have been ill for some time.

 The Spurs frontman is now likely to miss Monday’s opener against France, with the FA announcing that Defoe will re-join the squad "in due course", with no plans to call-up a replacement player.

 The statement on the governing body’s official website read: "England striker Jermain Defoe has returned home to England this morning following the passing of his father overnight. "Jermain will re-join the England Euro squad in due course.

 There will be no replacement player called in." Defoe arrived in Poland with the rest of Roy Hodgson's squad on Wednesday to start their competition preparations. Tottenham have released their own statement on their official website, also passing on their condolences: "Everyone at the Club sends their sincere condolences to Jermain and his family."

 The 29-year-old has won 47 senior caps, scoring 15 goals, but is yet to appear in a European Championship. He did feature as part of the Three Lions' 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa, scoring the only goal of the game against Slovenia to secure England’s progression to the knockout round.

 Defoe played 23 minutes as a substitute in England's final pre-Euro 2012 friendly against Belgium at Wembley on Saturday.

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