The Hammers got relegated at the end of the 2002-03 season, and the forward submitted a transfer request the next day.
However, the club turned it down, but he refused to sign an extension and eventually joined Tottenham Hotspur the following January.
Defoe has since gone on to establish himself as a Premier League striking legend, scoring a total of 162 goals in 496 games and playing for the likes of Portsmouth, Sunderland and Bournemouth.