Harry Redknapp on nearly signing Shevchenko & Hazard, begging Ferdinand to stay & transforming Bale

[Music] welcome to another edition of the transfer talk podcast and we are in the salubrious surroundings of sandbanks Harry Redknapp the king of the jungle the one and only and Harry Redknapp is with us thank you so much for welcoming us to your pleasure Harry I know this is a special place in your heart it's where it all began for you didn't it at bournemouth how special the time was that for you well my time at Bournemouth was amazing for me you know is my first I'd gone to Oxford City with Bobby Bobby Moore for a year you know Bobby always said to me if ever he got a job in management he'd like want me to go and work with him so his first job he should've had a much bigger job Bobby because of what he was and who he was and how great he was but he ended up taking over Oxford City which was obviously non-league ish me and League part-time and some went Leonel a year with Bobby at Oxford hoping that we would move on into bigger and better things but it didn't work out and I left there and came here and my first coaching experience in league football was we born with I came here with David Webb and Dave was a manager Dave was a great character knew the game old school probably like where like I was really but I mean you know new players non-league got lots of players in and I learned an awful lot from my time here with David with webby and and eventually I took over him later on became manager the club and at nearly 10 years here you mentioned those ten years after Bournemouth it was assistant manager at West and then you became manager western United to be called Harry Redknapp West Ham United manager what did that mean to you yeah it was great I mean it was you know it's funny in it I've never Anakin honestly say I'm not a over-ambitious or a dreamer always people sent me a back to england job and his yeah I'm like if it happens it happens you know I'm I'm not wonder thought it would lose his any sleep boots and so obviously you had to go back to Tottenham Park obvious well grew up and went there left school at 14 and went to West Ham so where Stan was was in my blood I mean I went to him again with people like Bobby Jeff Martin all the great players that were there wrong with an incredible football manager a genius really best football coach I've ever met and they were great times you know incredible times to be we were all least end of Essex boys we all came from within ten while eight mile probably radius in a football ground most of our dads worked in the docks and you know my dad was a docker there's so many weird and wonderful stories throughout your whole of your managerial career this is your opportunity to separate the fact from the fiction I want to ask you one story first of all rewind back to 1994 and a young andriy shevchenko how close were you to signing him for West Ham United what happened me and Frank Lampard senior who was my assistant he knew a couple of lads from his days in Frank was a cannon town boy we got a phone call from a couple of eggs oooo weee Frank they were proper chaps around the East End I think you know and they were doing lots of business in Russia or in Ukraine and they said look we can get any players from the youth there were no foreign players here so they said we said well we don't know any place in Ukraine so we can get a couple over a couple of the best ones for you to have a look at so they sent two players over and we fixed up again with Barnack reserves John still was a manager of Barnack and still he bought a team over a play and we played and Shevchenko got two goals and we liked him but it was like a million pound which was remember talking to Frank after me as too much money you know if it was only about 17 at the time 18 so we didn't take him but so they did bring me a few years later him guys he is that harried a judge I used to ring me up and give me some stick for not taking him you know Wow when you look back now are you thinking that's one that got away yeah well at many one of many I'm sure over the years one man that you did have in your scored was a very young Frank Lampard now there's a famous clip from a West Ham fans forum in 1996 where you make a really really staunch defense of Frank Lampard the publicity he's give young Frank Lea Warren see personally I don't think he's quite good not me and the holes I think that in the last couple years you this including these filters go for peanuts like may Holland in Scott Hennen I'll tell you now you know you can see the front released people I tell you without any shadow of a doubt there will be no comparison with what Frank Lampard will achieve in football and what Scotty cannon will achieve in football I don't give him the opportunity you know there is no favoritism in fact uh probably holding him back more because I'll tell you what he did badly Arsenal I think you came into the side and I felt the key came into the side and did well you know but I'm telling you now and not enough maybe now do you want to say this in front of him but he will go right to the very top right to the very top in my opinion you know because he's got everything that's needed to become a top class midfield player is that he chewed his first class he's got strength he can play he can pass it and he can score goals what you said about him he was certainly right about Frank Lampard what set him apart from other players he was the best professional I've never seen anyone anyone the only person I've ever seen trained like him was he stayed if I could go back to his dad I remember being in the dressing room I can see it now when the home dressing room at West Ham Frank's about 18 Ron Greenwood came in and sit - Frank senior got a fixture up that got a talkie alone frankly I don't got a talkie I want to play for Western whether one of that a talkie he said would be good experience for you know if you do well they might take you Frank said no I'm planning on a plate of Western what's wrong with me you never tell me what's wrong with me said well you're not quick enough Frank you know you've got your lack of pace and frankly know I'm not gonna show you and every day he got his spikes he came in bought some spikes every day did his sprints every day after training go out take his spikes on his own it's been ages running clipping balls doing different every day every afternoon and he just made himself and he become a great left back for 20 years for West Ham and the boy was exactly the same he trained like no one had ever seen it be out there I look at my window in the training ground four o'clock in the afternoon and you see someone like 200 yards who I thought someone had climbed our defense and was you know doing sprints and shoot him with a bag of balls and it was Frank he'd be out there and he rubbed off he was a great influence because the way he trained I think on Rio and have a little group Michael Carrick jermain defoe Joe Cole L saw a Frank and I think they're a big influence on the way they trained as well but Frank was he was a class apart from anybody when it came to dedication wanted to be a player and and the effort you put into it was just amazing he made himself he had talent obviously but he made himself into a fantastic football we'll come to some of those other plays in just a moment but one of the most eye-catching you'd have to say in controversial transfers that you made at West Ham was the one and only Paulo de Canas yeah now he said that you saved him how did you get you might save me well sure how did how did you get him and how much resistance was there from from the West Ham yeah member grantd Terry Brown the chairman we needed a plan and I said the Terry and I said look you know we needed he said yeah he calls let's get someone in you know you need somebody who can so I want to take para to Kenya and remember he put his own oldest probably like there are now anybody but him you know he'd pushed a referee mr. Olcott over and so yeah he didn't I don't mean he saw him B as being a good idea but he came to the club and was a G I loved him like to watch him play when he was at Celtic he was like a little kid in the playground he want to take corners for he kicks everything it ran and get the born and and then he went to Sheffield Wednesday and when we've got a chef when zero stood to say to the players in the West Ham team anywhere in that final third that chunk nearest man mark him just marking throw-ins whatever don't let him pick the ball up in that final third because he can just do something special and I so when he became available yeah that was he was key for me to try to get him and just for he can change things it was a gamble remember reading a Sunday newspaper from a well-known journalist who said that I was walking a tightrope we no safety net under me sign into Kenya who won a lakh million pound I don't see it being a risk I think it's it's he's very very cheap and I think that it's a great boy in my opinion and I think we bought a very talented player but he was an amazing sign and the fans loved him quite rightfully rightly so and he was he could do every his ability was incredible he looked after himself he was in great shape he trained well at the right foods didn't drink he said that his life was at rock bottom his career was at rock bottom after what happened when with the referee okok I moved to with them and not in a normal way like it happened to enabled to a similar a similar to Celtic in the worst moment of my life career move together because I linked the two things did he need convincing and what did you have to say to him no I think he you know well I just said what I said - lots of plaza I saw and I just saw I love him I said I loved why you apply all of you ability the Western fans love good players they'll absolutely love you you know you come to Western you're gonna be your beast you know the fans were absolute they love people that can play with ability they recognize that the West Ham supporters and then you'll be a massive favorite at a club and I think you can you know I'm your biggest fan so I want you to come and play for me having you have that reputation of being one of the best man managers that there's been in the game is that something that has come naturally to you that you've learned or it's just something off the cuff a well done in my opinion is will get you much further than what you know you useless or whatever I'm not one for that I think people keep telling you what you can't do you believe and you won't do it people we courage Minh is nothing like hey you were brilliant today or before a game you know I used to got to look at blue could get the ball Modric run the game they can't get near you you know just keep getting on the ball makers and they look people love it didn't know you know and I think that's always been my way I'd be joke on people like that you know maybe Joe being 14 15 think it's a joke Joe we could do were you in the first tina-marie you know you're that good and we all love it we all love a pat on the back you touched on the various plays that you had they look I've come real off a listen I'll miss them out Rio Ferdinand Frank Lampard Michael Carrick Joe Cole jermain defoe Glen Johnson yeah how'd you kept that squat together are we talking about West Ham United challenging oh yeah for time for sure for sure yeah the first once we saw Rio that was you know a big Rio not to go he leads came in up at 18 million I think the Chairman at the time I think he felt that it would be no more big transfers because the Bosman ruling was coming in I think he felt that all players then would just play let their contracts run out and just be free agents so there would be no transfer market that's how he saw it going I think when he got the offer of 80 million for Rio he felt he couldn't turn it down you know I remember getting Rio in my office you know with Frank senior and saying look don't go Rio don't get leads give us another couple years here you know you can always go to Legion always got a man United or somewhere but you know I think he had other people pushing him into going but you know I felt Leeds wasn't the move for him at that time I felt Western was still his club to be eight and if we to give us another couple of years I think we could have say pushed on and become a real force which I was coming through Carey Michael Carrick that little group suddenly these you say six kids in I mean you know you haven't you if you have a five or after you're gonna have a good team and we had five other good players around as well at the time so offer at the future at that stage for Western look fantastic it was exciting for me ice go to every youth game I never missed a game when the kids were playing I was - gotcha Burley for the home games on Saturday morning I watched the first hour 15 minutes second off getting my car go to Upton Park for the GAC first team game I went everywhere me and Frank senior that year with the youth team at that over that couple of years old him away in the Youth Cup up to ever turn different wherever the boys were playing we were there because I knew that was the future of the football club and it was um so exciting to have them kids Tony Carl Peter Braybrook who worked with the kids had done an amazing job in you know getting the kids in Jimmy amps and brought the kids into the club and suddenly it was like gold dust when do you get six kids West Ham had gone 11 years probably without really producing a player that had really established itself I mean kotti in Stevie Potts they'd have probably been the last ones then there was this big void where we have players perhaps to come in played a few games here games but no not too many that had really established itself as top players and there suddenly we had six of them come along at once it was just an amazing exciting feeling to be part of that after seven years as manager it ended for you at West and can you recall what happened and and how you felt at the time when you parted ways oh I was choked yeah absolutely yeah I mean it was about to sign new four-year contract you know chairman was driving he met assign the new contract I wasn't rushing to do it but look where there's no I think I know where you know things are good here I love it and the Chairman was great with me at a time I don't know people's you know I did an interview were fanzine and I don't know I think maybe I said one or two things that about the Chairman whatever whether that was I don't know but if I'd you know looking back on it was a silly thing that I did but I suck talking to a fanzine like I was chatting to you now and obviously all got printed and I think Terry wasn't wasn't happy with it so yeah but that was a harsh lesson keep your mouth shut well when you look back now is that a regret oh of course absolutely I mean my time there I loved it it was great and all them kids were just beginning to come through so yeah but but losing REO was was it was the first really it sent out the wrong signals to the other kids so yeah it was a shame out finished you know but I had a great time there and I don't have any any don't hold any grudges towards anybody's life there's one door closes another one opens and that door is Portsmouth yeah you got those director of football I did yeah was it always the intention no I'm gonna be no no I never wanted a man when I went report so if I know intention imagine Portsmouth that's all it was no a bit without being disrespectful it wasn't a club that was was in my mind a guy managed you know Portsmouth or a struggling team that had struggled in the bottom five or six of the championship every year just about mr. state stayed up last game of the season and I went there Malayan I met me I'm Andrew a new Malayan from his days in America he was when I was at Seattle he was probably the biggest owner in America anyway he became a bought Portsmouth in fact when he bought Portsmouth I was managing Westerham I took a team down there to play in a testimonial from one of the staff there at the end of the season met Malayan he was looking at the club at the time I met him after the game and we had a chat about America and he said I'm thinking about buying this club what do you think I said well this is an amazing football it's at one of the great historical football clubs in England you know after the war they Jimmy Dickinson era they won titles they were it was a real big club great at the fans here amazing old stadium but everybody who lives in Portsmouth supports Portsmouth I said I think it would potential ways here I know what it obviously it was great he saved the club and then a couple years later end up going there to work with him but now I had no real impact on the club I was director a football but it wasn't like we weren't bringing in too many plasma be signed crouch II Graham Rix was a manager Graham was was with very good good coach you know but it was hard he didn't have the players and Malayan was quite hard to work with I think for Graham I think he Malone was quite after a game I used to disappear and go home because I think he would get quite upset about things where it didn't work out and eventually in the end of the season they were looking there was button for whatever again and he asked me to take the team to the end of the year Graham would left and I did it I somebody I'll do it today in this season but I didn't see a no intention of staying longer than that at that time and we made it's just about stay up and in the following year you know I turned the Leicester job down I went out met John John it all something separately chairman at Leicester he offered me the job during the season but I turned yeah because I really have be honest it was but you know I didn't want to move home it was like I know it's lacking ambition or whatever but I was so settled where we live family here I saw I travel off with less there's a bit of a slap for me all the time I don't want to be away from home all week and I decided not to take you I thought see what else comes up but in the end melanne convinced me at the end of the season to have a go at Portsmouth took it and my first season we won the championship which was an amazing eyeful looking back on it was quite amazing really picked up a few players on free transfers area and a zoo was amazing men but probably the biggest signing that turned the club around single handle it was Palmerston I took Paul Merce Merce came in and he was on a different planet to anybody else in the league he lifted all the players at the club they suddenly their game lifted when he walked in the door and off we went we went off from day one went on a round of winning and Merson was pulling all the strings and making things up and scoring goals making goals and it was amazing time as such but my best sign in apartment Merce would have been Jim Smith I bought Jim Smith him with me the old bald eagle Jim had been manager of Portsmouth previously and Jim came to work with me booked Kevin bonding and Joe Jordan and we had a great team we laughed we went on a run of winning games and it was a great time for me it was just amazing every day was I look forward to getting up every morning going to work at Portsmouth you mentioned the likes of Merce and Steve stone as well Stoney go up and then when you're in the Premier League the likes of sharing them and keep you in yeah yeah did you make a conscious effort to go for that more experience yeah yeah we're four good players I mean I look now even now I look like in the summer I think if I was a manager first player would gone sign will be Gary kale how is no one snapping Gary kale he's got I'd be moving ever and earth to get him he was my type of signing you know that I took it portal then Harry Bellamy's eyes came in as director of football aport Smith coming to then me it seemed to turn a bit sour for you then yeah yeah I came in to be true bleep Milan was looking to shift Jim Smith he sort of I don't know yeah he had his finger Jim and he wanted me to let Jim you want to make a change and not keep Jim and Jim was massive to me was a big part of what I was doing there you know and I was driving home I'd left Mullane I got a phone call from a reporter said I really hear you got a director of football coming tomorrow and so it's you know I said I'll remember him as a player he was a great player but no had never met him I don't know him I said no no one's coming in here so I rang me there and he said now she's Robbie Sherri you know anyway next morning walked in he was here so awful this ain't really what I'm you know this wasn't in the plane so um yeah we had a bit of a bust up when I left he obviously wanted the quiet life Harry because you went to Southampton next yeah that was never moved did you genuinely go into that role fully knowing than of abuse you were going to no no no I what happened they left Portsmouth there at their argument when Malayan walked out Jim Jim was gone keV him know they'd all gone and two weeks later or tendered I don't know it wasn't very long I've got a phone call asking me if I would go to seventh and so you know I thought well I haven't done nothing wrong in my eyes at Portsmouth so it's on the doorstep good club why shouldn't I go you know took him it was great opportunity so I went there but no I didn't realize to be honest the hatred between the two clubs I mean it was scary it really was my first out Southampton I never forget it I'm driving to the training ground and it's sort of March would and you when should we come to a little t-junction we're yet to stop and the grounds it down and as I stopped there was a some guys digging the road doing them I know from Portsmouth and you don't know how you would in pompey boy he's a promise you they were digging the roads and they wrote on big Judas what calling me all kinds of names right and they're there kept my head down they would every day every day I pulled up they were there and it was like winning the pose one morning I come along and they'd finish their work and go oh my god thank God so yeah it was difficult when you look back on that time because of the abuse you got because Southampton were relegated is that a regret that you went there early is I suppose but I was you know and you know what a winter Southampton when I look back on it I was talking to someone yesterday actually and I know we all got where we were unlucky we had the unlucky I when I looked at the fixtures were playing every team in the bottom half of the league at home I know all the old fixtures that we had left when I went there were against top half teams well we play some fantastic stuff we beat repeat we beat Liverpool we drew we've Arsenal when we had 10 men with David Pratt and got sent off I would beat Tottenham we played some we ended up to one up against I think it was two went up against ever and played unbelievable that son it was a live game on Sky and the last second and again crowd you taking a ball down the corner decides to cross it instead of just keeping and get if we get a call in a game he crossed it the goalkeeper caught it kicked it up the field Duncan Ferguson flicked it on and the centre forward here a volley into a top corner and the ref blew the whistle them two points Middlesbrough at home were tuning up I'm about to make a substitution to work to finish the game the fourth official put up three minutes on the board with two new up three minutes to go they've got a corner I can't change it why they've got a corner the corner comes in dagestan Higginbottom goes to head it scoots off his aide into the far corner 2-1 they kick off and within 10 seconds of kicking off Stewart down he's hit 130 yards and it's 2-2 and that was in 3.2 keep us up at the end it was just amazing out when it was like fight you know but the Pompey fans obviously they haven't they thought I was special agent Harry Hampton to get really gate and then go back to Pauls look but no it wasn't the case then when you did go back to Paul I went back yeah what happened there again I in spoke to Mullane would fallen out and you know and they were struggling all the good players I had all got being got rid of and they'd bought a really bad lot of players in I mean I don't know where they found that mob from and they were bottom of the league and suddenly Frank Lampard's senior goes to watch young Frank play at Chelsea against Portsmouth Portsmouth beat and for Neil so after the game Frank gets invited into the boardroom Frank senior and Milan came over to say hello to him and frankly are you struggling Milan adjacent yeah we're gonna get really good we useless you know so Fred said should have bring Harry back he said Harry doesn't like me and he won't come back now you were not friends anymore but loved him here but he was Frank you don't know what you are he said say Frank will you ask him Freck rang me that night on the way home said Harry wants you to go back there would you go see I'll go I'll go I love it love me time there you know anyway next thing I know strictly against the rules I know but I'm having a meeting with Melania is that is flatten gum wolf key and next morning yeah it was sort of he came on the set and I was gone back at Portsmouth walked into a terrible terrible terrible team I mean awful they were stuck at the bottom of the league and my first games I've got Western villa they're the fans now from loving me when I was there absolutely I was like it was amazing time in my life now they've got the Oh even though I've come back if things don't go well I'm in big trouble we get beat up Villa I'm walking off the fans are in the corner they're giving me dogs abuse Pompey fans now because a lot of I got the amp again because they're you know but we turned it round we turned it round we went I got one or two where I bought in took three players from Tottenham Pedro Mendes Sean Davis no camera we did what we would do a special Daniel Levy deal buy one get one free so Daniel litters we went it's hot no mate I was actually trying to get Darren and ER and but Darren I think at the time Darren had an amazing contract there were no one he wanted to come back to Pompey was a Pompey boy it had been amazing he was a great player but I think Darren had a contract there we know one could earn more than him what took them so his wages would definitely had a window so I end up taking ever free lads and they came he did a great job for me took a little led from from a little argentinian boy who had took to Westham on trial I watched him play in the Argentinian under-19 team at Fulham could D'Allesandro he was a genius and number 10 a genius what a footballer and off we went we went on a run of winning winning Lulu our was incredible for me scoring goals we stayed up then can the investment when Alexander Guy de Mac took over part of the club and some of the names David James Sol Campbell Lauren Andy Cole Sulley Muntari Lassana Diarra and a favorite of yours jermain defoe yeah I had Portsmouth seen anything like this I know you had the experience before but when I'm alone when Malayan run a very tight ship millions monetized ship and suddenly we had a new owner he walked in I'll be honest with each came in when I was first we went back to Portsmouth I didn't know anybody was gonna come and I went back with Mullane and then suddenly Melander sold the club and I didn't know anything about that you know I'll be honest at that time I went back really to be with milena I knew him and he knew me we had ups and downs what we and suddenly I've got a new owner coming he came to me after the second game when I've gone back with that useless team and he wanted to see me didn't know I didn't know him and he said to me tell me mr. Redknapp why did a play where their players not trying I said what do you mean they're not trying he said there were dead why don't they try I said they're trying it's just no good they're not good enough I said you bought a load of rubbish plazi Andy Bernard since I left and you know you know good enough they where they are because that's what they are I said did there's different standards in football that look there a bottom championship players no you know for one not they last long here with him but he came in then I can meet him in he wanted meet me in Israel for a meeting and I went over and that's when you know at that time even it was like touch and go wherever I was going to stay because I didn't have a real relationship with him you know it was difficult but then you know they said look he's Richard and Abramovich his family apparently a mega rich he's far groans everything there is to own in Israel yawns a team in France or something and but they are the family are like up there with Roman Abramovich and he want you to bring plows in you know good players and and that's what we did we went out but when people look back and they got all that money that was you go through to go through it all and look at it carefully Lassana Diarra came for form at four and a half million pound yellow get-out clause at Arsenal and we sold they sold him but 21 million to Real Madrid people like Sylvain disdain came on a free from Man City we sold him was six million pound to Everton so Campbell came and took nothing a quarter of his wages it was earning an Arsenal he'd left Arsenal soul and he was fell out of love with football didn't want to play anymore I could convince him to play football game it walked out halftime at Arsenal and so the money was irrelevant eating care about in what people for always getting this they didn't care but money wasn't an issue he wanted he was gonna come back could I convince him to play I couldn't offer him any sort of big deals but he wanted to play football again and that's what we had convinced him and when he came he was incredible but the whole group were like that they were so people of it always tastes spent all this money on these players David James came in again Jamie was we give a million pound for Jay my week sudden we signed the best goalkeeper in England in my opinion you know so but people look back me well with all that it wasn't a case I mean I don't know what goes on behind the scenes this club was run by mister guy to make what he'd done with a mani a with him I don't know it was not my bit but we built a fantastic team surely Muntari sold in the Malayan players were who win within they weren't Germany we bought in and we didn't make a profit on Defoe one of you to force he arrived but it kind of required didn't it been Johnnie to leave for Manchester City mmm now that was easier said than done wasn't it yeah well Benji didn't want to go to men city he was very happy at Portsmouth but we've got a crazy offer from from men city so I Drive him to the air push him on the runway he wasn't too keen there about two hours later when I run you again arrived in Manchester I run his mobile on he was still sitting at the airport we didn't get on the plane so I said wait there Benji I'm coming don't worry wait there please and I'll Drive to the important it was one more plane now managed to drag him across the runway and get him on the plane to get the deal we needed the money because this was tied to deadline it was he got there about why like locking them all nothing but I think it's some early somewhere they got it through I don't know air goodness me car knew there was another big name to all right I know I mean what's the story of how you have you go what out my car no he was he won't play and he'd been at Westar on the year before first game of the season we're playing Blackburn Rovers at home we haven't got a fit striker on the books not one everybody was either injured or suspended so I sit the Tony Adams I'm thinking what about we're looking for the rottenness but I said what about kind of anyway we keep looking can't find anybody eventually I rang him up I said look what you're gonna do King are you gonna play he said you don't want to play Jeff I said well I want to bring you to Portsmouth you know said I'd love to come I said we'll come down tonight Sunday and tomorrow we give a have a fitness have your medical and now Sonya I need you a Saturday against Blackburn anyway came down Tony wasn't convinced so we had a reserve game that day funny enough with Cardiff so I said to him look playing the game I said it's not a trial this is just for getting you fit for Saturday to be honest it was if it had been no good looking with a felled him when he's medic or something you know I've got out of it but he played in the game scored two goals and it was amazing on the Saturday he made his debut against Blackburn first cam to season they were good team Blackburn that time and he scored another two goals on mister penalty on the matter he went of we went the Middlesbrough in the midweek he got another two goals and he never looked back and he was still playing about five years later scored the winning goal in the semi-final when they finally half a cup for me what a football it was a genius one of the world's he was a great great footballer unbelievable ability six foot four and a touch him skill I've never seen he was am what a great lad great guy you say what a player I mean he was instrumental when I guess Portsmouth greatest day mmm you led them to the FA Cup yeah it was a great day anything ever they come close to that in your career well it was a great day but yeah I mean getting Portsmouth promoted that first year for me was always special the Cup win was special keep important fact when I went back that was make-or-break for me if then they stayed up I was in massive trouble so that was a great day but the other days you know other times that you know with great you know even even a twist and we finished fifth in the Premier that's the highest position I've ever finished in the Premier League I mean that was great we had and we play great football in my time at West Ham helped to produce him great players so that was a great time for me you know following season you still at Portsmouth you're happy at Portsmouth yeah then in North London Tottenham Sat one day Ramos when did you hear that they that they wanted you and how big a wrench was it to leave well have to be truthful I'd a meeting with Daniel Levy 18 months earlier he offered me the job a team-ups earlier I met him his house and Daniel asked me to go there then but I didn't you know at that time I was very happy at Portsmouth things were going great for me and I turned the Newcastle job down as well you know Mike Ashley offered me the job we great off a great club Newcastle but my life was so good at Portsmouth I didn't want to leave I just loved every minute my time there you know but there no we played in Braga on the Thursday night in the European Cup with Portsmouth I've got on the coach and next day and it was a phone call from Tottenham asking me would have gone meet Daniel that night I went there but again I was still as great a club as Tottenham was my life was so good at Portsmouth I really wasn't even looking looking to leave you know but I went there and met Daniel and you know yeah ok awful well maybe I'm never going to get an opportunity again like this you know and they were stuck at the bottom they'd had a terrible start and I took the job and I'll be honest and say that Daniel Daniel can we leave it to after the weekend he said no we got boat one on Sunday we're popping the league two points he said I need you in place her I need you in the dugout I said but on Monday I'm getting the freedom with a City of Portsmouth and anyway he said I can't you got we need you Sunday so I took it we won the game on Sunday on Monday I go back to pause and forget the freedom of the city which wasn't great timing having just left on the Saturday so um that was a difficult way it's difficult I got up and I said my time he's never been that good really and but the people don't mean it was amazing it was one or two people in the year up in a gallery who weren't too happy with me but the rest everybody else was amazing when you joined Tottenham two points for my games I'm sure you couldn't believe they were in that position given our squad they had but you improved that squad in January how important was it to bring back the likes of Jermain Defoe and and Robbie came back they know the club and they were great players I was I was bringing in players I knew what I was getting there's nothing like taking people that you know or you work we've all been somewhere and you Robbie Keane was infectious he was a great footballer he was intelligent he knew the game he was just buzz about I just allowed used to love what she lobby player for he was you know always on the move Jemaine was a goal scorer a great goal scorer a signing moszer as a little boy when he was a West M I took him to West Ham as a school boy so yeah they were players that I there were no brain as you know Peter Crouch and I thought you know I knew I was getting with him boys over they would they could do the job so that wasn't a Wonder gamble incredibly in less than two seasons you've taken Tottenham from the bottom of the league basically when you joined to the Champions League hmm you know manager of the year as well when you've joined him you can't possibly have imagined that in that time that would have happened could you well I don't know it was a club obviously I like good players you know I'm not gonna sit and say oh I turned all these rubbish players in a grape I could ply was lucky I've got Leslie King you know I've got Luka Modric what I did I pushed gareth bale from left back pushed him forward one two good when I went there Garrick on something like 27 28 games 26 to whatever the figure was never been on a winning team which is incredible you know Alex Ferguson said to me I wouldn't play Mary he said he's bad luck so it's a great player he's gonna be a top player at one you were saying that cuz he wanted a song yeah yeah probably yeah and I Eve you and people that are you gonna loan him out never in a million years was I ever again alone Gareth Bale well I remember going to watch Tottenham player Fulham when I managed Portsmouth with Joe Jordan because we were playing couple of days later we were playing Tottenham and I went I went to watch him play and he played left back me and Joe Jordan I said what a talentless kitties he kept replayed left back we kept running a length of the field from left back and they were winning that day and they got paid back by Fulham and it didn't win the game I had him at Southampton as a kid it was always gonna be a great player in my opinion you know he just been unlucky I've been on the winning team if we'd have stayed at left-back he'd have probably been the best left back in the world but I just thought we'd get more out of him I'd been wild cotter who was a great left back and I could push him forward and Luka Modric she was playing left wing I pushed him inside the central we're never played at Tottenham and changed his butt so suddenly that little switch both players went on and and it struck lucky for me and they became incredible players in them positions there are other big players who came as well of course Rafael van der Vaart Rafa was fantastic what a player great lady had this top class the score could make the old sea a pass loved him as a footballer and there's a person great bed there was another player I think he played at Wigan didn't he will ya blasted Wilson he was rumored to be joining some of the other clubs what happened with Wilson well I got will sir I took Wilson from from Wigan and he came in I felt he'd go Tottenham something they'd been missing he was hard he worked he closed people he made tackles he left let other people play if you like but he could play as well but he was a great signing for me and he was he he had a fantastic period of unfortunately for him his career dipped it was a sad story his brother got kidnapped his brother was supposed to be an even better plan and him the whole family were football I think there was five brothers all good players the father was a football coach and we went to ever and supplier never forget the day we wait we're playing at Goodison Park and we went to bed and got up in the morning came down eight o'clock and Wilson was sitting in the lobby of the hotel with clothes on and we were his his suitcase bag so was Wilson what's up what you're doing and he told me he'd had a phone call at two o'clock in the morning to tell him that his brother had been found dead who had been kidnapped the kidnappers had actually held him for about eighteen months or when they've paid rents and paid ransom and eventually they killed him and he was younger than Wilson and Wilson didn't want to wake me up when he got the phone call he was so respectful what they were the word he wouldn't ring me up to wake me up to tell me that he had to leave to go back to Honduras to seize his family and he waited until I came down in the morning to tell me he sat there all night in the lobby from two o'clock just on his own it was an amazing boy you know and I'd so much respect for him but his career after that it was never quite the same you know he sort of his form tended it dipped and but I'm having gone what we've gone through obviously and there's no wonder you know but I'd so much respect for him how are you taken taught him into the Champions League and and and the next season you'd finish in a Champions League place but then the one thing that could stop you going to the Champions League was Chelsea winning mmm the title yeah at Bayern Munich's round it happens yeah and I went to the game which wasn't the best thing I've ever done I went Lee Jamie and Graham Souness and [Music] they said come over you know come over for the game and you know and so I watched it go what you got a penalties what they kept us after the game they kept the Chelsea fans in and I walked round the pitch pass to Chelsea fans and as I was walking they started singing Thursday night channel 5 to me all of them you know it was it was a bit so yeah that was a bit of a down like that day in the build-up to the end of that season you were keeping tabs on on a sir and Eden Hazard when you through yeah through Joe Cole who was playing with him Cho Rong me how close well I mean as hard again you know listen transfer deals had it done I met hazard in a hotel in Paris at an hour chatting to him great laid I loved what a football genius and yeah he was up for coming to Tottenham but unfortunately for whatever reason I wasn't involved in transfer deal what's up he's all idea if I see a player I can only chill I told Daniel and the cheek whoever's doing that they do the deals as a manager you know in on him you don't go into meetings with players or you but it never got that far I think they couldn't agree a free with the club or whatever so so we didn't get him how did it work that it's on what what was Daniel Levy's role and what was your role did you just say to Daniel these are the two players can we buy players yeah yeah no if I wanted to play and Daniel getting me get it's like him you know I did he was after he would do the deal he did them it was up to him to speak to to Joe Lewis whoever owned the club and urged and Daniel to sit down and do a deal and talk to the players agent whoever they met with and try to get a deal done you know if the figures are not they need to come back to miss Harry we can't do a deal with this club they're too expensive for the player we can't deal was he good to deal with never a problem with Daniel if the opposing clubs that had the problem with Daniel oh yeah Sergei's odd man oh yeah he'd fight you for the last shilling I mean yeah he likes to win a deal but I think he loves trade for a deadline days that's he's he's in his element there where he's doing the deals and he's a day later what is the dealer clever man clever clever dealer you know but look have a look what I have a look at the training ground now have a look at the stadium it's incredible that the work has been what he's done there so you know it's he's took the club on to another level long-term also that season Harry the England job yeah we all know it became available in Fabio Capello resigned can you tell us how close you came to getting it how did you have talks with the football oh no I never met anybody no but I was looked a certain see really denied the time not being I mean the bookmakers don't get it I was ten to one on which means you'd have to fit my as a betting man and mate look people you have to lap ten to win one so if you put 10 pound on your only yeah I'd play attempt and Roy Olson was 10 to 1 against which means you put a pound on the win 10 that was the difference it was like it was you know even speaking to people at the they may like Richard Bevan and people like that they did who were involved obviously nobody afraid they said oh you I people from there favoring these well same with telling me you know you got the job that jobs yours and everything yeah but you didn't actually have any to know I never to meet with no nothing no but because of all the the noise around me were you speaking to Daniel Levy and saying look it's likely I'm gonna get off of this no I never really discussed it with Daniel would be honest I think it was we should just just wait in the same we'll see what happened it was difficult for me because I such a good team at Tottenham things were going great for me and you know but then you don't turn England down do you you can't you'd have taken it I got to take all that a good thing great players at that time you know they've got going played some good players now but Ed at that time you know it's like so Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney and all these Frank Lampard and all them still playing and there's some fantastic players so yeah I would love to amazed England obviously you mentioned when you joined Spurs even though you were happy at Portsmouth you were thinking that opportunity might not come again was is that basically what you thought about the England oh yeah of course yeah it was a 1 yeah it was it was it was only gonna happen it was that one one opportunity but it certainly afraid they choose who they want they chose Roy and Roy's a great manager a great guy so that's life I just moved on I didn't come home and start laying the I've lost I've not got the job it's not you know I don't sort of spend my life like that you know you move on didn't you but I mean at by the end of that season you haven't got you didn't get the opportunity to manage England and then Tottenham yeah say right I think the time has come that was completely out of blue yet did you feel let down then I was disappointed I didn't see it coming didn't see never any inkling at all that that was going to happen what reasoning did Daniel Levy give you no reasoning no no I couldn't so I met Daniel needs to give me any reason Daniel didn't Joe Lewis owns the Football Club you know probably a major shareholder so they made a decision they wanted to go I always felt that you know we've taught them that they liked they did like the director of football one you know and because they'd had it before I went there and then I became the manager and it was different and then when I left they put in a VB and they bought bailed a knee in as director of football and I think that was a system that Daniel like he'd like that director of football coach type role you've got so many amazing memories from from your managerial career you've given Sky Sports News a lot of memories as well you're intrinsically linked with deadlines day you'll always wind your window down yeah it's still one or two bits and pieces in the air and it's still possible that something could happen you know but no I've been pleased with what we've done so far when you look back on on days like that are they days that you miss when you when you're not much oh yeah of course and people always say why did I only did it but I don't want to be on television and do him transferred ed I don't know there's no I don't need to be talking to people but my full process was you guys turn up there at seven o'clock in the morning the middle of winter January whenever it's raining it's cold might be a bit snow whatever you've got a job to do your job is to get an interview with the manager find out what's happening I couldn't drive past him you guys and splashing in a puddle or whatever and just drive on I'm trying to you've got a job to do and if I can help you do your job same as I need help to do my job I would stop and talk to you because it's a it's good for you your your those back at sky great we've got an interview with a manager at Tottenham Aires on the ferries gonna doing it and it's good and that's why I did it I did it for that reason not because I wanted daddy stop talking about players that might be coming or going I'd much rather gone straight you know a cup of tea but it's not my nature to do that I talk to everybody I'll give everybody my time Harry finally East End footballer successful manager king of the jungle King was the greatest achievement football but coming out you know it was great for me to become you know I grew up in East London but dad was football marr'd worked in the docks all his life so to go into professional football was you know that was that life my dad was football crazy football crazy and I was the same as a kid and so to leave school come out the east and with no education whatsoever unfortunately it's the biggest regret I have that you know I didn't really come out you know but I've done okay I've done okay and I met a lot of nice people first bit of advice I've got ever from Ron Greenwood would be nice to people on the way up because you meet him on the way down that's and that was always my bubbly good nice to see you [Music]

Channel: Sky Sports Football

Views: 1,036,423

Rating: 4.8318424 out of 5

Keywords: sky sports, premier league, Football League, football, Sky Sports live, Sky, Sports, stream, sky sports football, premier league highlights, epl other 1920, Harry Redknapp, Transfer Talk Special, Harry Redknapp Transfer Talk Special, Redknapp, Tottenham, Tottenham highlights, Tottenham goals, Podcast, Transfer Talk Podcast Special, Spurs, Harry Redknapp spurs, Portsmouth, Jamie Redknapp, Frank Lampard, Lampard

Id: g1kuwE3ijcM

Length: 50min 19sec (3019 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 11 2020