Tottenham Hotspur's Jermain Defoe has offered his thanks for the messages of support he received following the death of his father.

The England striker took to Twitter to pay tribute to fans, family, teammates, and hospital staff in the wake of his loss.

"I want to thank the fans, my family and friends, the England boys, the Football Association and the manager for their support," he wrote.

"I can't tell you how much it means to me, I love you all, may God bless you."

"A special thank you to Royal Marsden's doctors and nurses who looked after my dad. They are very special people," he added.

Defoe left England's Euro 2012 camp on Wednesday following the news that his father Jimmy, 49, had passed away in hospital after a lengthy illness.

He is expected to rejoin the national team in due course, but is likely to miss Monday's opener against France.