Gary Megson has revealed he wanted to sign Jermain Defoe for Bolton - but feels Portsmouth were one of very few clubs that could attract him.Megson confirmed he had "looked at" the former Tottenham striker when bidding to replace Chelsea-bound Nicolas Anelka in the January transfer window.
"We have, but probably every team in the country has done," said Megson.
"He is a fantastic talent and a great goalscorer. I'm not too sure many other clubs apart from Portsmouth would have been able to get him away from Tottenham.
"He's a London lad and I'm sure he is settled in that part of the world and going to Portsmouth I'm sure enables him to live where he still lives so it's not a big departure for him, whereas if he had come up north it would have been entirely different."
Portsmouth won the race for Defoe's services and he marked his debut with a point-saving goal against Chelsea last Saturday.
And Megson believes Harry Redknapp's capture of the 25-year-old, who started his career under the Pompey boss at West Ham, reflects the progress Portsmouth have made in establishing themselves as a Premier League club.
He added: "They have got players there now I am sure they could only have dreamed about 10 years ago and they are reaping the rewards of getting a very strong squad and a good team.
"It will be a big test for us. When you say they like attacking football they are also very strong at the back.
"You can't put all your eggs in one basket and say you are going to score loads of goals and then find you are shipping them at the other end.
"Nor can you say we are going to keep a clean sheet and hope we can nick something.
You have got to get it right at both ends and Harry and Portsmouth at the moment certainly have. They are going really well and the job that Harry has done is fantastic."
Last Saturday's 2-0 win at Reading gave Bolton a major lift and Megson now wants to back up that result by recording a first home success since the turn of the year and back-to-back league victories for the first time in 10 months.
He added: "Every win you get is important but given the position that we are in, to go somewhere where maybe you are not expected to get a result and actually get one is a big boost for us all.
"What we have been talking about is trying to get an away win so that it enables us when we do come back to the Reebok to really make some ground up on the people above us.
"You are not going to achieve anything if you are poor at home. I think we got four (decent) results on the bounce but of late we have lost to Blackburn and we drew with Fulham.
"So we have got to start getting ourselves back to the fact that this is a very difficult place to come and get anything, never mind win. We have got to get back on track."
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