London: Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe was at the centre of controversy after admitting to biting the arm of West Ham United’s Javier Mascherano during the teams’ Premier League game on Sunday.

The front page of a British newspaper on Monday carried a picture of Defoe seeming to bite the Argentine’s upper arm as they sat on the ground following a challenge at White Hart Lane.

Mascherano was booked for his tackle from behind and Defoe for his response, the incident producing a mass bout of shoving in the game which Spurs won 1-0.

Incidentally, Defoe on Monday played down his bite on Mascherano as just a fun way of reacting to being fouled.

“This has been blown out of all proportion. When the West Ham player fouled me I reacted in a bit of a mischievous way, my character is a little like that at times,” Defoe said.

“The referee was standing right over me and if he felt I had done anything bad he would have sent me off,” Defoe, who was booked along with Mascherano, told Spurs’ official website.

(Reuters)