What a year! Harry Redknapp's first interview since leaving Spurs, on heart surgery, THAT court case, the England saga and leaving a club he loved

Posted Saturday, September 15, 2012 by Dailymail

What a year! Harry Redknapp's first interview since leaving Spurs, on heart surgery, THAT court case, the England saga and leaving a club he loved
Overlooked: Roy Hodgson was appointed as England manager

‘But when I look back I think it was always going to be a problem for me. I mean, I have to be careful what I say here, but I had a contract that was very heavily loaded; that anyone who wanted to take me, we’re talking massive money in compensation. It was always going to be a problem.

‘The FA would say that it wasn’t the reason and it wouldn’t be fair on Roy Hodgson to say I would have had the job had it not been for that. But I always felt, from day one, that it might rule me out. That it might be a problem.’

The FA have always insisted Hodgson was their first choice and the fact that they did not speak to Redknapp – he confirms as much – would suggest that was the case.

But because the compensation figure was north of £10million, because he saw only obstacles rather than a clear path to a new Wembley office, Redknapp never got too excited about the prospect of becoming England manager. On the contrary, he started to worry about what he would do if he was offered the opportunity to succeed Capello.

For the first time, Redknapp admits he had serious reservations about becoming the manager of England. ‘I was enjoying
my life at Tottenham and I did wonder how I would cope, if it happened, with what is part-time football,’ he says. ‘I do enjoy seeing footballers every day; being on the training ground.

‘I had great players to work with. Bale, Modric, Scott Parker. Fantastic lads. I enjoyed going to Old Trafford, I enjoyed going to Liverpool, to the Emirates. All these amazing places. And I thought I would miss that.

‘That was something that kept bothering me. Was it something I really wanted to do? I know what the job brings in the end. Nothing but hassle. We all know that. It’s part of the job. If you don’t get slaughtered you’re going to be the luckiest man in the world. Even Bobby Robson got slaughtered. And I knew that. I thought, “Do I need that?”

‘I was driving when I heard on the radio that Roy had got the job. It happened out of the blue. But I didn’t lose any sleep over it that night. I was almost quite relieved in a way — that I hadn’t been given a decision to make. The decision had been taken away from me.’

He wishes Hodgson well and he does sound genuine. ‘I like Roy,’ he says. ‘He’s a great guy and I’m sure he’ll be a very good England manager.

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