Former Rangers star compared to Man Utd & England legend
Morelos, who scored 124 goals in 269 appearances for Rangers between 2017 and 2023, left many fans frustrated with his frequent red cards.
Defoe said on Open Goal: "I thought he was good. I thought this guy has got potential.
"He reminded me of Wayne Rooney and his temperament.
"When Wazza first came through, he was so aggressive.
"I said to Rangers fans, if you take that away from him, he wouldn't be the same player.
"He's aggressive, he gets wound up. Obviously, he will learn, but he needs that."
Mr Defoe cherished his time playing alongside Morelos, recalling shared moments in the Glasgow dressing room.
He said: "He scores goals. He talks good English by the way, he kids on massively.
"He'd walk round the training ground and he's got four phones in his hand, he's showing me all this mad stuff that happens on the streets of Colombia and all the other stuff."
Morelos' passionate playing style remains a fond memory for Defoe.
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