Jermain Defoe: Sunderland sign England striker from Toronto

Defoe has scored 124 Premier League goals

Toronto FC and England striker Jermain Defoe has completed his move to Sunderland, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal with the club.

Defoe, 32, played alongside Gus Poyet during the first of his two spells at Tottenham, and was then coached by the Sunderland manager at White Hart Lane.

Poyet said: "His exceptional goal-scoring record speaks for itself."

United States international Jozy Altidore, 25, moves back to the MLS with Toronto as part of the deal.

Defoe could make his debut against Spurs at White Hart Lane if international clearance is - as expected - received by 13.45 GMT on Saturday.

"It is a great club and I've always enjoyed coming up here and playing against Sunderland because of the stadium and the supporters," the striker said.

"It is a great place to play and I'm really looking forward to it."

Defoe, capped 55 times by England, is 14th on the list of all-time Premier League goalscorers, with 124 from his time with Spurs, West Ham and Portsmouth.

He scored 11 times in 16 games in his first season with Toronto and had been training with Tottenham during the MLS close season.

Sunderland currently lie 16th in the Premier League, with only Aston Villa having scored fewer than their 18 goals.

Altidore departs having failed to score in 13 appearances this term.

The American striker netted just once in 42 games for Sunderland after arriving in a £6.5m deal from AZ Alkmaar in July 2013.