Matthew Upson has championed the contributions made by former teammate Jermain Defoe to Sunderland's bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The 37-year-oldex-England defender claimed Defoe is 'priceless' for the Black Cats and praised his impact as 'huge'.
Defoe has been the standout performer again for Sunderland this season, scoring vital goals that have prevented them from being cut adrift at the bottom of the table. It was his goals last season that kept them in the Premier League.
DavidMoyes will certainly need the Englishman's goalscoring instincts once again this term, with another relegation battlelooking likely.
With eight goals already this time around, Defoe has pretty much picked up where he left off last season, which is mightily impressive given he is now 34 years old. The veteran could be forgiven for winding downin the later stages of his career as many do, but hehas lookedsuper sharp and fresher than ever, which is a huge bonus for the Sunderland faithful.
Upson, speaking to BBC Match of the Day 2 Extra, said: "Whenever I think of Sunderland, I think of Jermain Defoe, and his impact is huge. His form at the moment for me is the best I've seen in his career and he just looks like a threat to score every week, which for Sunderland at the moment is priceless.�
The pair played together during their timein the England setup. It would seem Upson shares the view of many other pundits who believe Defoe will be the key man in Sunderland's bid to stave off relegation once again.