Jermain Defoe set for Toronto FC in MLS

London: Jermain Defoe is risking his World Cup place by agreeing a Dh500,000-a-week move to Major League Soccer with Toronto FC.

Defoe is understood to have snubbed overtures from Hull, Sunderland and QPR, which would have kept him within plain sight of England manager Roy Hodgson.

Instead, he will follow former Tottenham teammate, Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane, to the MLS in the hope regular first-team football more than 3,500 miles away can enhance his chances of going to Brazil.

But despite growing frustrated at his lack of first-team football — he has started just one Premier League match this season — Defoe’s gamble looks certain to put his World Cup hopes in jeopardy.

Currently no European players with MLS sides are expected to be called up for Rio and only LA Galaxy’s Keane and Chicago Fire’s Estonia midfielder Joel Lindpere can be classed as European regulars.

Defoe, 31, who has agreed a four-year contract to play under former Spurs teammate Ryan Nelsen, feels he can buck that trend, despite having his work cut out to make Hodgson’s squad.

He came off the bench in the friendly defeat by Chile but he did not feature in England’s last five World Cup qualifiers and was used only once at Euro 2012.

To emphasise just how little impression MLS players are expected to make on the World Cup, the league will break for just two weeks during the group stages.