Overcoming his disappointment at international duty yielding just one point from two games for the young Lions, he says: "We played two games and only got one point. I love to win, it wasn't meant to be, but all the West Ham boys can do now is look forward to our game.
"When I joined up with the under-21 squad David Platt said: 'it is my fault that you didn't go with the full squad because you were supposed to go with Sven. He was at the game against Sunderland and he said he wants you, but I said to him I want you for our game.'
"He said to Sven that there is no point going with the seniors to sit on the bench or sit in the stand when I could play for him, so I could understand that - David is someone with experience who I look up to and it is nice to be wanted by him.
"But my thoughts are definitely with West Ham's next game at Southampton now. It is a massive match and we need to win - which I think we can do with the players we have got.
"It is going to be tough because Southampton are playing well and obviously James Beattie is on fire.
"But the way we have been playing the last few weeks I think we can get a result, even though it won't be easy at their place."
At least Jermain did have the chance to wear the three lions, while Beattie, ready to try and prove Sven wrong on Saturday, was left out of the full squad.
Jermain admits: "I thought he would have been in the squad, even though in the game at Upton Park against Australia he was only on for only 45 minutes.
"It is difficult to play for only that length of time, especially when it is your first cap, and I thought he would have got another chance with the goals that he has scored.
"He deserves it anyway, and it is strange he hasn't got another opportunity."
Under-21 colleague Michael Carrick was conspicuous by his absence against Turkey on Tuesday evening, but Jermain reveals: "I think Michael is all right after picking up a little groin strain - he just didn't want to risk it.
"Lee Bowyer is back and all the strikers are fit on Saturday so we will see what happens."
David Platt had admitted at an England press conference: "Sven is more than aware of Jermain. He was at West Ham against Sunderland after which I spoke to him in the evening and he said Jermain had done very well, which didn't surprise me - nobody tells me anything different about Jermain.
"I spoke to him again on Sunday and he said 'you take Defoe because you like him'.
"That is not to say he doesn't like him, because whenever he names a squad Jermain has been considered - but Sven is conscious of the fact it's good for Jermain's experience to be with us, and I like him in my team.
"What Sven has to look at is his team and you go with that in mind and substitutes in mind, so Defoe was better off playing in our games rather than Sven taking him.
"He was also doing me a favour because he knows I like him so much, so it's my fault Jermain Defoe is not in the seniors.
"But there is nothing so certain in my mind he will be a full international - it's not a matter of 'if', it's 'when' - he is a phenomenal talent who I think just gets better and better."