Defoe's ex-teammate hits out at Rangers man after he commits 'faux pas' that 'looks bad' and 'is not right'
Rangers hitman Jermain Defoe has no excuse for choosing the Sky Sports studio over his side's clash with St Mirren last Sunday.
That is the view of Defoe's ex-England and Spurs teammate Paul Robinson, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the 39-year-old's absence.
Defoe sat alongside Graeme Souness and Dave Jones on 24 October to preview West Ham's win 1-0 over London rivals Tottenham.
Meanwhile, his Rangers side defeated St Mirren 2-1 thanks to goals from his fellow strikers Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos.
Rangers later responded to the ensuing backlash with a tweet that read that it was "great to see" Defoe on punditry duty south of the border.
Player-coach Defoe has just eight minutes under his belt for the Scottish champions this season and appears to be focusing on his coaching work.
But Robinson insisted that his absence does not reflect well on him or the club in any case.
He told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams: "You don't do something like that if you haven't had a conversation with club beforehand.
"There must have been a reason why Jermain wasn't needed in the playing squad at the game. His coaching wasn't needed on that matchday either.
"But in all honesty, if he's contracted as a player and coach, you can understand fans' frustration as to why he wasn't at the game.
"I think it was a faux pas on his behalf to take that job while the Rangers game was going on.
"You'd think he'd be at your game rather than another game. It does look bad and, for me, it's not right."