JERMAIN DEFOE has revealed the secret of his success after rekindling his international career at the age of 34 – turning vegan.

Defoe ended a three-and-a-half year international absence as he scored England’s opening goal in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Lithuania, with his clinical attacking display leading to increased calls for him to be considered for a place in next summer’s World Cup squad.

An appearance in Russia would represent a remarkable turnaround for a player who looked to have drawn a line under his international career when he left the Premier League to join MLS side Toronto FC in 2014.

His time in Canada proved short-lived, and since returning to the English top-flight with Sunderland, he has cemented his status as one of the country’s most reliable goalscorers.

His longevity is impressive, and is due in no small part to his willingness to try a range of different things in order to protect his physical well-being. Defoe is tee-total, an advocate of yoga and a regular participant in cryotherapy sessions, and his latest attempt to stretch out his career involves giving up something that was previously an important part of his lifestyle – meat.

“I have a better understanding of my body now,” said Defoe, who will be 35 by the time the next World Cup begins. “Everyone wants to feel fresh in the game, there’s no better feeling. So I’m just making sure I’m doing the right things – cryotherapy, massage, eating the right things. I’m trying to turn vegan.

“That’s a funny one because when I go to my mum’s, she’s got every kind of meat you can imagine on the table.

“It was my girlfriend’s idea. She said to me, ‘You’ve got to do it’, and she’s always showing me these documentaries and that. It’s always nice to have someone around you who helps you and drives you on, and wants you to do well.”

Defoe has performed at the peak of his powers ever since he joined Sunderland in a swap deal that saw Jozy Altidore cross the Atlantic in the opposite direction.

He has claimed 14 Premier League goals this season despite the Black Cats’ position at the foot of the table, and will be leading the line again at the weekend as David Moyes’ side look to improve their prospects of avoiding the drop by claiming a much-needed win at Watford.

He remains as hungry for goals as ever, and claims it is easy to make sacrifices when the end result is an improved performance in the 18-yard box.

“I don’t find anything hard because I know the feeling of scoring goals,” said Defoe. “So getting in an ice bath and all that isn’t nice, but I just think, ‘You know what? I’m going to do this and be rewarded’.

“It’s hard, but in another way, it’s easy because all I want to do is play well and score goals. The key thing for me is recovery, giving yourself the best opportunity to perform in the next game.

“I seem to have got that to a tee. There’s a lot of things I do away from training and away from match-day that help me perform, so I’ll just keep doing that.”

Defoe’s training schedule is clearly working, and having made a successful return to the international fold at the weekend, the Sunderland striker will be keen to remain in the squad when England face Scotland and France in a double-header in June.

Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney could be available for those games, with Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck also harbouring international ambitions, but Defoe is currently the striker in possession of the jersey and it would be harsh to drop him on the back of Sunday’s display.

That is a far cry from last summer, when Roy Hodgson barely even considered him before selecting his squad for the European Championships in France.

Hodgson didn’t even travel to the Stadium of Light to watch Defoe at first hand, and while the striker pointedly refused to even consider international retirement, he admits he doubted whether he would ever play for his country again.

“I never give up,” he said. “But in my mind I was trying to be realistic and with the previous manager (Hodgson), I didn’t feel like I was getting an opportunity.

“There were times I was scoring goals, especially last season, but I wasn’t selected for the Euros. I felt like I finished the season strong, but I was realistic and felt like maybe I wasn’t going to get an opportunity.

“My mum always said, ‘It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish’, and years later, I’m back in the squad and scoring goals for my country.”