JERMAIN DEFOE claims a full pre-season has enabled him to regain the sharpness that was not quite there in the second half of last term.

Defoe joined Sunderland from MLS side Toronto FC in January, with a hernia problem having sidelined him for more than a month prior to his arrival in the North-East.

He scored four goals in 17 league games as the Black Cats scrambled to safety last season, but never felt completely comfortable with either his form or fitness.

Things have been markedly different in the early stages of the current campaign, with Tuesday’s hat-trick against Exeter City taking his tally to five goals in four matches, and he is confident he has regained the sharpness that has enabled him to be such an effective Premier League presence throughout his career.

“When I first came to the club in January it was a difficult time for me because I had an operation in November so I knew it was going to take time for me to get my power and sharpness back,” said Defoe. “I hadn’t really played for four months, so when I first came here it was difficult. But I feel like myself again now.

“I feel sharp, and feel like I’m able to do everything I want to do in a game in terms of my movement, energy and taking my chances.”

Having spent the vast majority of his career as a central striker, Defoe suddenly finds himself in a wider position, but while much has been made of the switch, the 32-year-old claims his role has not actually changed that much.

“When we haven’t got the ball, I’m on the wing,” he said. “But when we do have the ball, I’m playing as a forward. If I was to play like a winger, I’d be getting the ball out wide and crossing it, and that wouldn’t really play to my strengths.

“Naturally, I go inside and make runs. That’s where you’re going to get your chances, and I always believe that if I get the chances, I’ll score.

“It’s the first time I’ve really played that role in the whole of my career, but at the end of the day, I’d rather be on the pitch than on the bench. I want to play and I’m still scoring goals.”