Spurs have gone 11 Premier League games without a win and, after Thursday's 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, are now just a point above the bottom three, with relegation to the Championship a very realistic danger.
Speaking at the Soccer Aid 2026 launch at the London Stadium prior to Thomas Frank's sacking, he said: "We've seen it at other clubs. Some clubs enjoy that model, having ex-players in.
"It was a question I asked. I wanted to be with the first team. I wanted to be exposed to that sort of pressure. I wanted to see up close what Ange did on a day-to-day basis and be involved in it.
"But when you love football and you have an affiliation with the fans and the club, and you love the football club, of course you want to be part of it, you want to help.
"I know Ledley King did it for a little bit under Jose Mourinho. That's priceless. If I was a young defender and Ledley King was in the building, I'd be trying to get as much from him as possible.
"I was lucky – I had Clive Allen, who played for the football club. Me and Clive spent a lot of time, one-on-one, doing a lot of finishing after training and that definitely helped my development as a young player.
"They haven't got that at the minute, in terms of a centre-forward that played for the football club. Whether that is me, Robbie Keane, whoever it is. I think it can only be a positive."
"Yeah, of course," he said. "But it's not just me. I've spoken to a lot of players who have done their badges and are trying to get in.
"I think people assume but we've seen there are no guarantees. There are no guarantees that just because you've played or you've been one of the best players in the world, you are going to become an unbelievable manager.
"For me, I'm enjoying the media bits at the minute. I've done my badges. I wanted to do my badges because of my love for the game and I knew towards the end of my career that it was something I wanted to go into.
"Steven Gerrard, who I played with and played under at Rangers. Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney. You see their journeys but it has to be the right place and it has to be the right opportunity."
It may be at the London Stadium, the home of Spurs' rivals West Ham, but the 43-year-old is buzzing to be putting his boots back on.
He added: "Once the whistle goes, it's like any football match. The goals are there and you want to score, and, obviously, you want to win.
The initial line-ups have been confirmed but Defoe may be on a late recruitment drive to add a few of his former Spurs teammates to the England squad.
"I might drop him a little message and see if he can get those long boots out again. Let's see what happens.
Soccer Aid for UNICEF takes place on Sunday 31 May at the London Stadium. Adult tickets start from £20 and juniors from £10 at socceraid.org.uk/tickets.
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