Henry James Redknapp (born 2 March 1947) is an English former
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
and player. He has previously managed
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
,
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
,
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
,
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
,
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
,
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
and
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
. In his second spell at Portsmouth, he managed the side that won the
2008 FA Cup.
At the conclusion of the 2009–10 season, he guided Tottenham into the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
. Redknapp announced his retirement from football management in 2017.
His son,
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp (born 25 June 1973) is an English former professional footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is a pundit at Sky Sports and an editorial sports columnist at the ''Daily Mail''. A technically skillful and creativ ...
, played under him at Bournemouth and Southampton.
He is also uncle to
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of English club Coventry City. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, one of Chelsea's greates ...
, who played under him at West Ham United.
Early life
Redknapp was born in
Poplar, London, the only child of Henry Joseph William Redknapp (1922–1996) and Violet May Brown (1924–2001).
At age eleven, while Redknapp was playing for East London Schools football, he was spotted by Dickie Walker, a
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
scout. From there, Redknapp grew in the Tottenham youth ranks playing at
Cheshunt
Cheshunt (/ˈtʃɛzənt/ CHEZ-ənt) is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, situated within the London commuter belt approximately north of Central London. The town lies on the River Lea and Lee Navigation, bordering th ...
, meeting the likes of
Bill Nicholson,
Dave Mackay
David Craig Mackay (14 November 1934 – 2 March 2015) was a Scottish football player and manager. Mackay was best known for a highly successful playing career with Heart of Midlothian, the double-winning Tottenham Hotspur side of 1961 an ...
and
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis Blanchflower (10 February 1926 – 9 December 1993) was a Northern Ireland footballer, football manager and journalist who played for and captained Tottenham Hotspur, including during their double-winning season of 1960–61. H ...
. At age 15, Redknapp moved to
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
and played alongside
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea Moore (12 April 1941 – 24 February 1993) was an English professional footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years, and was the captain of the England national team that won the 1966 FIFA ...
. In a 2008 interview, Redknapp stated as part of a tribute to
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney (5 April 1922 – 14 February 2014) was an English international footballer who played from 1946 to 1960 as a winger or centre forward for Preston North End and England. He is widely acknowledged to have been one of England' ...
, "I was a big
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
fan as a kid and I remember seeing him play against
Tommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson Docherty (24 April 1928 – 31 December 2020), commonly known as The Doc, was a Scottish football player and manager. Docherty played for several clubs, most notably Preston North End, and represented Scotland 25 times bet ...
one night."
After being appointed Tottenham manager later in 2008, Redknapp stressed his Tottenham connections as well, stating:
Club career
West Ham United
During his playing career, Redknapp played as a midfielder. He began his career with Tottenham Hotspur, playing for the youth team until he was 15 years old, when he moved to West Ham United. He first broke into the first team at West Ham in the 1965–66 season, making seven appearances and scoring one goal. He made his debut for West Ham in a 1–1 draw at home to
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
on 23 August 1965.
His first goal came in a 4–1 away win over Tottenham on 8 April 1966.
[
Redknapp made his first start of the 1966–67 season, and scored his second goal for the club, on 3 December 1966 in a 3–0 win over ]West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
.[ Redknapp made 12 League appearances scoring once during his second season.][ During the 1967–68 season, he made 28 League appearances and scored twice, the first in a 4–2 home win over ]Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
on 21 August 1967 and the second in a 5–1 away win over Sunderland on 6 September 1967.[
During the 1968–69 season, Redknapp made 42 appearances and scored three times, with 36 appearances coming in the league (along with two goals), three in the ]FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
appearances and three in the League Cup (along with one goal). His first league goal of the season came in a 4–0 win over West Brom on 31 August 1968, while the next came in a match in the League Cup against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
, which West Ham won 4–0. Redknapp received a red card in a 2–0 away defeat at Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
on 12 October 1968.[ He had been booked for fouling ]Billy Bremner
William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional Association football, footballer who played for Leeds United F.C., Leeds United, Hull City A.F.C., Hull City, and the Scotland national football team, Scot ...
and was dismissed by the referee for dissent. His third goal of the season came in a 4–3 win over Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
on 2 November 1968.[
Redknapp made his first appearance of the 1969–70 season on 9 August 1969 in a 1–0 home win over ]Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
, while his first goal of the season came in a 3–0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
on 2 September 1969. Redknapp made 26 total appearances and scored one goal; 23 of his appearances came in the league.[
During the 1970–71 season, Redknapp made 21 league appearances with one more coming in the League Cup.][ He then made a further 35 appearances during the 1971–72 season with 22 of them coming in the league. This would be his last season at the club before he moved to ]AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
for the 1972–73 season. He made 175 total appearances in both league and cup action for West Ham, scoring eight times over seven seasons.[
]
AFC Bournemouth
Redknapp joined Division 3 Bournemouth in 1972 from West Ham. He spent four seasons with the south coast side between 1972 and 1976.
In the 1972–73 season, Redknapp made 37 appearances with 34 of them coming in the league scoring once in the league and Bournemouth finished seventh in the league. He made a further 46 appearances scoring five times during the 1973–74 season with 39 appearances in the league.
Redknapp made 19 (all league) appearances during the 1974–75 season as Bournemouth were relegated to the Fourth Division. In 1975–76, he only managed nine appearances. At the end of the 1975–76 season, he moved to then Fourth Division side Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has dive ...
, where he made one appearance during the 1976–77 season.
Seattle Sounders
In 1976, Redknapp joined North American Soccer League
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to
1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
(NASL) club Seattle Sounders as a player-coach. He made 15 appearances during the 1976 season as they reached the playoffs after finishing second in the Pacific Conference, Western Division, before losing to the Minnesota Kicks
The Minnesota Kicks was a professional soccer team that played at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota, from 1976 to 1981. The team was a member of the now defunct North American Soccer League (1968–84), No ...
in the Division Championship. Before returning to Seattle, he appeared briefly for AP Leamington in the Southern League Premier Division.[ Redknapp then made five appearances during the 1977 season as they finished third in the Pacific Conference, Western Division, before losing out in ]Soccer Bowl '77
Soccer Bowl '77 was the championship final of the 1977 NASL season. The New York Cosmos (who had dropped "New York" from their name in the off-season to simply "Cosmos") took on the Seattle Sounders. The match was played on August 28, 1977 a ...
to Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...
's New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to
* New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada)
* New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Indepen ...
, 2–1.
Redknapp went on to make three appearances in the 1978 season and just the one in the 1979 season, before joining up with old teammate and 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore.
In 1980, he was contracted to play with ASL expansion team the Phoenix Fire, but the team folded in pre-season.
International career
Redknapp represented England at youth level when he was 17. He was in the side that won the 1964 UEFA European Under-18 Championship
The UEFA European Under-18 Championship 1964 Final Tournament was held in the Netherlands.
Teams
The following teams entered the tournament:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (host)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Group stage Group 1
...
after defeating Spain 4–0 in the final.
Management and coaching career
Seattle Sounders and Oxford City
Redknapp began his management career as player-assistant manager of NASL club Seattle Sounders from 1976 to 1979 under Jimmy Gabriel
James Gabriel (10 October 1940 – 10 July 2021) was a Scottish football defensive midfielder and defender who earned two caps with the Scotland national football team. Chiefly associated with English clubs Everton and Southampton, Gabriel pla ...
. During his time with Seattle, Redknapp made 24 appearances, helping the side to second place in the Pacific Conference, Western Division, in his first season as player-coach, and then to third place in the Pacific Conference, Western Division, for the 1977 season, taking them to the final of the Soccer Bowl
The Soccer Bowl was the annual championship game of the North American Soccer League (NASL), which ran from 1968 to 1984. The two top teams from the playoffs faced off in the final to determine the winner of the NASL Trophy. From the league's ...
, before losing to Pelé's New York Cosmos.
During the 1978 season, Redknapp helped Seattle to a third-place finish in the National Conference, Western Division, before they lost in the first round of the playoffs, again to the New York Cosmos. In his final year in Seattle, he helped them to another third-place finish in the National Conference, Western Division, but this time they failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Redknapp then assisted his former West Ham teammate Bobby Moore at Isthmian League
The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...
club Oxford City.
AFC Bournemouth
At the beginning of the 1982–83 season, Redknapp took up his first major coaching role as assistant manager to David Webb at Bournemouth, six years after leaving the club as a player. Redknapp applied for the manager's job when Webb moved to Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
partway through that season, but was overlooked in favour of Don Megson. Megson was sacked in late 1983 as Bournemouth were in the Third Division relegation places, and Redknapp was hired as his replacement in October 1983.
In his first season at the helm, Redknapp helped Bournemouth avoid relegation to the Fourth Division. Bournemouth also caused a shock in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
when they defeated holders Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
2–0 in the third round. He led Bournemouth to victory in the inaugural Associate Members' Cup
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier League ...
by beating Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
in the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. Bournemouth won the Third Division title in 1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
with 97 points, breaking the club's record for the most points accumulated in a season.
After two years at this level, Bournemouth were relegated at the end of their third season. Bournemouth were in 13th position on 3 March, but injuries which depleted the squad, combined with a catastrophic loss of form, meant they won only one more match that season, and were relegated on 5 May after a 1–0 defeat at Dean Court
Dean Court, currently known as Vitality Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England, and is the home ground of AFC Bournemouth. The stadium has a capacity of 11,307.
History
I ...
against Leeds United.
Road accident
In June 1990, while in Italy to watch the 1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...
, Redknapp was involved in a road accident along with Michael Sinclair, the chairman of York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 seas ...
, Fred Whitehouse, the chairman of Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
, and Bournemouth's managing director, Brian Tiler
Brian Tiler (15 March 1943 – 30 June 1990) was an English footballer who played as a central defender.
Career
Tiler began his career at his home town club Rotherham United where he made his debut in 1962–63. He spent seven seasons at Mill ...
. Travelling through Latina
Latina or Latinas most often refers to:
* Latinas, a demographic group in the United States
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America.
*Latin Americans
Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
, south of Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, at night, their chauffeur-driven minibus was in a head-on collision with a car containing three Italian soldiers. The minibus was flipped onto its roof and skidded 50 yards along the road. Sitting in the seat where Redknapp had usually sat during the trip, Tiler was killed, as were the three occupants of the other vehicle. Redknapp was doused in petrol and pulled clear of the accident by Sinclair. Redknapp suffered a fractured skull, a broken nose, cracked ribs and a gash in his left leg. Ambulance services arriving at the scene believed him dead and placed a blanket over his head. Unconscious for two days, Redknapp was flown home two weeks later in a special air ambulance paid for by Bournemouth. Though he made a full recovery, apart from losing his sense of smell and gaining a facial tic, he eventually quit Bournemouth at the end of the 1991–92 season.
West Ham United
For the next season, Redknapp was appointed assistant manager to Billy Bonds
William Arthur Bonds (born 17 September 1946) is a former professional footballer and manager, who is most often associated with West Ham United with whom he spent 27 years as player and manager. He played 799 first-team games for West Ham in a ...
at West Ham, another of his former clubs. However, in August 1994, the club board of directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
opted to turn control of the team over to Redknapp and move Bonds into an administrative role. Bonds eventually resigned outright from the club, leaving Redknapp solely in charge.
Just months before being promoted to the manager's seat at Upton Park, Redknapp was linked with the managerial vacancy at Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
after the departure of previous manager Ian Branfoot
Ian Grant Branfoot (born 26 January 1947) is an English former football player and manager.
Born in Gateshead, he played as a full-back, and after starting at Gateshead joined Sheffield Wednesday, making his Football League debut in 1965. Afte ...
, but the job went to Alan Ball instead.
Redknapp helped to establish the club in the FA Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football ...
and introduced a number of young players from the club's academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
, including Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick (born 28 July 1981) is an English professional Association football, football coach and former player who was most recently the head coach of club Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough. He is considered as one of the best midfield ...
, Joe Cole
Joseph John Cole (born 8 November 1981) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. He was long touted as a child prodigy and as the hottest prospect in English football, wi ...
, Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for TNT Sports. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and ...
and Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of English club Coventry City. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, one of Chelsea's greates ...
. The signings of Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce (born 24 April 1962) is an English professional football manager and former player, who was most recently a first-team coach for Premier League club West Ham United. He was nicknamed "Psycho" for his unforgiving style of play.
...
, Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a Forward (association football), forward. He primari ...
and Trevor Sinclair
Trevor Lloyd Sinclair (born 2 March 1973) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and pundit.
As a player, he was a winger who notably played in the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, West Ham United and Manchester C ...
helped them re-establish their careers having been signed by Redknapp. He also made mistakes in the transfer market, particularly with overseas players, including Marco Boogers
Marco Boogers (born 12 January 1967) is a Dutch former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Boogers spent almost all of his career in the Netherlands, apart from an ill-fated spe ...
, Florin Raducioiu
The Florentine florin was a gold coin (in Italian ''Fiorino d'oro'') struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time.
It had 54 grains () of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a pu ...
and Paulo Futre
Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre (; born 28 February 1966) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a left winger.
Widely considered as one of the best players of his generation, after starting his professional career with Sport ...
.
Nevertheless, West Ham finished in eighth position in 1998 and fifth in 1999, which saw them qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
in what was their second-best ever season in the top division. In the 1999–2000 season, West Ham won the Intertoto Cup and qualified for the UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
but failed to match their performances in the Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
. Redknapp left West Ham on 9 May 2001, one match before the end of the 2000–01 season. For some time, it was unconfirmed whether he resigned or was sacked but Redknapp shed new light on the true circumstances in October 2007:
Portsmouth
Redknapp became director of football
A sporting director, or director of sport, is an senior management, executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many typ ...
for Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
in 2001, and when the Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
manager's job became vacant with the dismissal of Peter Taylor Peter Taylor may refer to:
Arts
* Peter Taylor (writer) (1917–1994), American author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
* Peter Taylor (film editor) (1922–1997), English film editor, winner of an Academy Award for Film Editing
Politic ...
that autumn, Redknapp was widely tipped to take over at the East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (except for North Lincolnshire and North East ...
club, but stayed loyal to ''Pompey'', with the Leicester job going to Dave Bassett
David Thomas Bassett (born 4 September 1944 in Stanmore) is an English football manager and a former player. Bassett won a total of seven promotions and is one of a select number of managers who took charge of over 1,000 matches.
After a playi ...
. It was reported in the national media that had Redknapp taken over, Bassett would have been on his coaching staff at the East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (except for North Lincolnshire and North East ...
club.
However, after the club's poor form, he replaced manager Graham Rix
Graham Cyril Rix (born 23 October 1957) is an English former professional football player who later became a coach and manager.
Rix played for Arsenal for thirteen years, then Brentford (on loan), Caen, Le Havre, Dundee and Chelsea. He also w ...
in March 2002. Redknapp managed the club to the Division One title in the 2002–03 season, gaining promotion to the Premier League, replacing his former club West Ham.
Redknapp kept Portsmouth in the Premier League in the 2003–04 season, but had a dispute with Portsmouth owner Milan Mandarić
Milan Mandarić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Мандарић; born 5 September 1938) is a Serbian-American businessman who has owned a string of businesses and association football clubs, including Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. H ...
over his assistant Jim Smith. Redknapp had another disagreement with Mandarić over the appointment of Velimir Zajec
Velimir Zajec (born 12 February 1956) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player who is the current
president of Dinamo Zagreb.
Club career
Zajec began his career at Dinamo Zagreb in 1974, aged 18. In ten years at the c ...
as director of football and resigned as manager in November 2004.
Southampton
A few weeks after his departure at Portsmouth, Redknapp became manager of Southampton, a move which infuriated Portsmouth's supporters, as the two clubs are fierce local rivals. Some fans even bore T-shirts which referred to Redknapp as "Scummer" and "Judas" and called for him to "Rot in Hell".
Redknapp was tasked with keeping Southampton in the Premier League – a similar task to the one Redknapp was facing with Portsmouth, and a familiar one at the club over the previous 15 years, which he would have faced had he accepted the offer to take over a decade earlier – but ultimately was unable to achieve this, ending Southampton's 27-year spell in the top flight. Redknapp remained in charge for the 2005–06 Championship season but was unable to establish consistency needed to make Southampton promotion contenders. Redknapp was also unhappy with chairman Rupert Lowe
Rupert James Graham Lowe (; born 31 October 1957) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Yarmouth since 2024. Elected for Reform UK, he now sits as an independent following the suspension of the party wh ...
's appointment of Clive Woodward
Sir Clive Ronald Woodward (born 6 January 1956) is an English former rugby union player and coach (sport), coach. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He also coached the 2005 Britis ...
to the club's coaching staff. After being repeatedly linked with a return to Portsmouth after they sacked Alain Perrin
Alain André Christian Perrin (; born 7 October 1956) is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player.
Perrin made his managerial breakthrough at Troyes AC, Troyes, whom he took from t ...
, Redknapp resigned as Southampton's manager in early December 2005. Lowe quoted Redknapp as referring to Portsmouth as his "spiritual home".
Return to Portsmouth
Redknapp returned to Portsmouth on 7 December 2005 with the club threatened by relegation to the Championship, although not in the relegation zone. At first it looked like Redknapp would be heading for a second successive relegation, but a fine run of form at the end of the season, aided by the takeover of Portsmouth by Alexandre Gaydamak
Alexandre "Sacha" Gaydamak (; born May 1976 in France) is a French and Israeli businessman. A member of the wealthy Gaydamak family, he is the only son of Arcadi Gaydamak.
In January 2006 he announced that he was following his father into asso ...
(which provided Redknapp with more money), ensured Portsmouth's survival. In the following season, Redknapp led Portsmouth to a ninth-placed finish which was the club's highest league finish since the 1950s. In October 2007, Redknapp signed a new contract at Portsmouth lasting until 2011.
In January 2008, it emerged through the media that Redknapp was offered the vacant manager's job at Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
following the sacking of Sam Allardyce
Samuel Allardyce (born 19 October 1954) is an English football manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent mostly in the Football League, as well as brief spells in the North ...
. Redknapp had apparently declined the job, stating, "I have a job to do to take this club forward and to walk away would not have been the right thing to do." It was later stated by Newcastle chairman Christopher Mort
Christopher Mort is an English lawyer and former chairman of Newcastle United Football Club.
Biography
Mort is a lawyer for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he is head of their sports and gaming practice.
Mort worked for Mike Ashley on h ...
that Redknapp "was interviewed for the job but he was only one of a number of people we were speaking to at that time", and at the time of Redknapp's interview the club had already been in secret talks with the eventual appointee, Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regard ...
, for a week.
On 8 March 2008, Redknapp led Portsmouth to an FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
quarter-final victory over Manchester United, completing a hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
of FA Cup wins over Manchester United, and followed this with a semi-final victory over West Bromwich Albion at Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
on 5 April. He guided the club to their first FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final is the last match in the FA Cup, Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the List of sports attendance figures, most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official attendance of 89,472 ...
in 69 years, where they defeated Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
on 17 May 2008 to win The FA Cup 1–0, thanks to a goal scored by Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu (born 1 August 1976) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was a member of the Nigeria national team, and played for Nigerian club Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Dutch side Ajax, Inter Milan of Italy, a ...
.[ He was the last English manager to win a major English trophy until ]Eddie Howe
Edward John Frank Howe (born 29 November 1977) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Premier League club Newcastle United.
A centre-back during his playing career, Howe spent most of his playing ...
of Newcastle United won the EFL Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
in 2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
.
Redknapp returned to Portsmouth to receive the Freedom of the City in a ceremony on 28 October 2008. As this event took place two days after his departure for Tottenham Hotspur, he received a mixed reception from the Portsmouth fans, despite having led the club to a long-awaited trophy in the 2008 FA Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur
In October 2008, following the sacking of Juande Ramos
Juan de la Cruz "Juande" Ramos Cano (born 25 September 1954) is a former Spanish footballer and manager.
After playing and managing at an amateur level, Ramos led Rayo Vallecano to promotion to La Liga, followed by reaching the quarter-finals ...
by Tottenham Hotspur, the club announced Redknapp had agreed to take over as the new manager at Spurs, the club where he began his playing career. Tottenham paid £5 million in compensation to Portsmouth for releasing Redknapp. Spurs had secured only two points from the first eight matches of the season prior to Redknapp's arrival and lay bottom of the Premier League table, but in his first two weeks in charge, he took the club out of the relegation zone, winning 10 out of the 12 points available after wins against Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
, as well as a remarkable 4–4 draw against North London rivals Arsenal.
In January 2009, Redknapp signed five new players in order to add quality and much-needed depth to his squad. He brought back Jermain Defoe
Jermain Colin Defoe (born 7 October 1982) is an English football coach and former professional player. He was most recently the under-18s coach at Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Defoe was a striker and began his career with Charlto ...
from his old club Portsmouth for £15.75 million and Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios
Wilson Roberto Palacios Suazo (; born 29 July 1984) is a Honduran former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder.
Born in La Ceiba, he played for C.D. Victoria, Victor ...
from Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, they have p ...
for £12 million. Long-serving Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini
Carlo Cudicini (born 6 September 1973) is a former Italian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently a club ambassador and loan player technical coach at Chelsea.
He is the son of the AC Milan goalkeeper Fabio Cudicini (1935–2025 ...
also joined on a free transfer; former Spurs player Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda (born 21 February 1979) is a French football coach and professional player who most recently was the player-manager of English non-league club Skelmersdale United.
Chimbonda, a right-back, began his professional career in 1998 ...
returned to White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane was a Association football, football stadium in Tottenham, North London and the home of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1899 to 2017. Its capacity varied over the years; when changed to all-seater i ...
from Sunderland for a fee in the region of £3 million; and Robbie Keane
Robert David Keane (born 8 July 1980) is an Irish professional football coach and former player who played as a striker and is currently the head coach of Ferencváros. Keane served as captain of the Republic of Ireland from March 2006 until h ...
, who like Chimbonda and Defoe had only left Spurs within the last year, re-joined after an unsuccessful spell at Liverpool for an initial fee of £12 million.
In the second half of the season, Spurs gradually moved up the league table after a significant improvement in form. In March 2009, Redknapp led Spurs to the League Cup final, which they lost on penalties to Manchester United. Spurs eventually finished in eighth position with 51 points, narrowly missing out on a UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
place.
Redknapp made significant alterations to the squad in the summer of 2009. Striker Darren Bent
Darren Ashley Bent (born 6 February 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker and is currently a radio presenter for talkSPORT. He played in the Premier League and Championship for nine clubs, and at senior int ...
was sold to Sunderland for an initial fee of £10 million, while midfielder Didier Zokora departed for Sevilla
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Seville ...
for £7.75 million. Both England international striker Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch (born 30 January 1981) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He was Cap (sport), capped 42 times by the England national football t ...
and Croatia midfielder Niko Kranjčar
Niko Kranjčar (; born 13 August 1984) is a Croatian former professional Association football, footballer. He primarily played as an attacking midfielder, but could also operate as a Midfielder (association football)#Winger, winger or Forward (a ...
arrived from Portsmouth for £9 million and £2 million respectively along with defender Sébastien Bassong from Newcastle United for £8 million.
In 2009–10, his first full campaign with the club, Redknapp guided Spurs to one of their most successful Premier League campaigns to date. Beginning with four consecutive wins, Spurs went on to finish in fourth place with 70 points, therefore gaining the chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
via a play-off. As a result of his efforts, he won the Premier League Manager of the Year award, only the second manager to do so in a season when his side did not win the title.
On 13 July 2010, it was confirmed Spurs had extended Redknapp's contract until the end of the 2013 season.
On 25 August 2010, Spurs confirmed their position in the Champions League group stage by overturning a first-leg deficit to defeat Swiss team Young Boys at White Hart Lane in the Champions League play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eith ...
. After a surprising run to the quarter-finals, Spurs were eliminated in April 2011, after a 5–0 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
. Spurs ended the Premier League season in fifth position with 62 points. Although not enough to secure a second year of Champions League football, this finish instead meant that Redknapp's Spurs qualified for the Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
.
In the 2011–12 season, Redknapp signed 40-year-old goalkeeper Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel (born May 18, 1971) is an American professional soccer coach and former player who played as a goalkeeper.
Friedel played 84 games for the United States national team between 1992 and 2005, and represented his country a ...
after his contract expired with Aston Villa. He also made a season-long loan move for Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (; born 26 February 1984) is a Togolese former professional footballer who played as a striker. During his career, he played for English clubs Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, as well as ...
. On transfer deadline day, he signed English midfielder Scott Parker
Scott Matthew Parker (born 13 October 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player who currently manages Premier League club Burnley.
Parker began his career at Charlton Athletic, and was loaned to Norwich City, before ...
for an undisclosed fee from West Ham. Redknapp then went on to win the Premier League Manager of the Month
The Premier League Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League manager each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to ...
award for September and November.
Despite leading Tottenham to their second fourth-placed finish in three years, and missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification only due to Chelsea winning the competition, Redknapp was sacked by Tottenham on 13 June 2012, after reportedly failing to agree terms on a new contract.
Queens Park Rangers
On 24 November 2012, Redknapp, who had been working at former club Bournemouth in an advisory role, was appointed as manager of Queens Park Rangers, taking over from Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of club Carlisle United F.C., Carlisle United.
During his playing career he usually operated as a Forward (asso ...
, whose contract was terminated the previous day. QPR were bottom with only four points from 12 matches. His first match in charge of QPR came on 27 November, a 0–0 draw away to Sunderland. Redknapp earned his first win as QPR manager, and the club's first Premier League victory of the 2012–13 season, on 15 December after defeating Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
2–1 at Loftus Road
Loftus Road, currently known as MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, West London, Greater London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers F.C., Queens Park Rangers Football Club, w ...
.
On 2 January 2013, Redknapp led QPR to a 1–0 victory away from home against reigning European champions Chelsea. This was QPR's first away win in the Premier League since November 2011 and their first top flight victory at Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to:
* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England
** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066
* Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge
* Stamford Bridge (stadium), in ...
since March 1979. His first match against Tottenham since being sacked by the North London club came on 12 January 2013, with Redknapp leading QPR to a 0–0 draw at Loftus Road.
On 28 April 2013, after a 0–0 draw against fellow relegation rivals Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, and with three matches of the season to play, QPR were relegated from the Premier League to the Championship after two seasons in the top flight. After a single season in the Championship, Redknapp managed QPR to a 1–0 victory in the Play-off Final against Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
on 24 May 2014 at Wembley Stadium, returning the club to the Premier League. On 3 February 2015, Redknapp resigned as manager of QPR. With an imminent knee operation, Redknapp said that he could not give 100% to the job and that it would be better for someone else to take over as manager. Les Ferdinand
Leslie Ferdinand (born 8 December 1966) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and television pundit.
A striker, his playing career included notable spells in the Premier League with Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United, ...
and Chris Ramsey were placed in temporary charge. In April 2015, Redknapp expanded on his reasons for leaving QPR, stating he had also left the club because he "no longer knew who was on my side". At his time of departure, QPR were in second-last position in the Premier League with 19 points from 23 matches and a record zero points from away matches.
Jordan
In March 2016, Redknapp was appointed manager of the Jordan national team alongside his former assistant, Kevin Bond, for the country's next two qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
. Redknapp's first match as Jordan manager, on 24 March, ended in an 8–0 win over Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
. This was followed by a 5–1 defeat to Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
Birmingham City and retirement
On 18 April 2017, Redknapp was announced as the manager of Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
until the end of the season after the resignation of Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola (; born 5 July 1966) is an Italian football executive, Manager (association football), manager, and former Association football, footballer who played predominantly as a Forward (association football), forward. He is currently v ...
. His first match in charge was a 1–0 loss to local rivals Aston Villa. The final two matches of the season saw Redknapp's team beat Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football.
Huddersfield Town we ...
2–0, followed by a 1–0 away win at Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
, allowing Birmingham to escape any threat of relegation.
In May 2017, Redknapp signed a one-year deal to continue as Birmingham manager for another season. Kevin Bond was reunited with Redknapp as assistant manager, replacing the outgoing Steve Cotterill. His first signings were David Stockdale
David Adam Stockdale (born 20 September 1985) is an English Association football, football manager and former professional player who is manager of club Farsley Celtic F.C., Farsley Celtic.
A Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper, Stoc ...
, Marc Roberts and Cheikh N'Doye.
On 16 September 2017, after five straight league defeats that left the team second bottom in the table, a statement from Birmingham City said the club were "left with no choice but to terminate the contract of the manager with immediate effect". After his sacking, Redknapp said that there was "every chance" his role as Birmingham manager would be his last managerial job. A month later, Redknapp confirmed his retirement from management after 34 years in the dugout.
On 16 February 2023, Redknapp revealed he would be interested in a return to club management via Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
after the dismissal of Jesse Marsch
Jesse Alan Marsch ( ; born November 8, 1973) is an American professional association football, soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of the Canada men's national soccer team, Canada men's national team. Marsch played 14 seasons ...
. On 21 February 2023, Leeds appointed Javi Gracia
Javier "Javi" Gracia Carlos (; born 1 May 1970) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder.
He totalled 430 matches across both major levels of Spanish football, in a 15-year professional career. Afte ...
, putting an end to the Redknapp rumours.
Other roles
In January 2016, Redknapp made a return to football as a director at Wimborne Town. In March 2016, he was named as a football advisor for Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
until the end of the 2015–16 season.
On 29 April 2016, it was announced that Redknapp was to join Australian side Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast Mariners Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Gosford, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. It competes in the A-League Men, under licence from the Australian Professional Leagues (APL).
The Mar ...
as a football consultant.
In October 2017, following his departure from Birmingham City, Redknapp briefly joined League Two club Yeovil Town Yeovil Town may refer to:
* Yeovil, a town in Somerset, England, with a council named Yeovil Town
* Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset
* Yeovil Town W.F.C., an English women's football team affiliated with Yeovil T ...
in a voluntary advisory role to manager Darren Way
Darren Way (born 21 November 1979) is an English professional football manager and former player who manages club Bath City.
A hard tackling centre-midfielder as a player, Way started his career at Norwich City as an associate schoolboy in 1 ...
.
Since December 2020, Redknapp has been a Nexen Tire
Nexen Tire Corporation ( Korean: ) is a tire manufacturer headquartered in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province and Seoul in South Korea. It was established in 1942 under the name Heung-A Tire Company.
In 1985, Nexen dedicated a facility in Yangsa ...
brand ambassador
A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person paid by an organization or company to represent its brand in a positive light, helping to increase brand awareness and sales. The brand ambassador is meant to embody the ...
.
On 8 February 2021, Redknapp returned to Bournemouth to advise caretaker manager Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate (born 22 January 1980) is an English Association football, football manager and former player.
Woodgate began his career at Middlesbrough but moved to Leeds United F.C., Leeds United at the age of sixteen. He was sold t ...
, though was not officially involved.
On 9 July 2021, Redknapp made a small cameo appearance in the popular British soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
, ''EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
''.
On 6 December 2023, Redknapp came out of retirement aged 76 to help Specsavers
Specsavers Optical Group Limited is a Guernsey-based multinational optical retail chain, which operates mainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Nordic countries. The chain offers optometry and optician services for ey ...
Cwm Albion
In 2024, Redknapp signed up to co-manage England's football team on Sunday 9 June for Soccer Aid 2024. The England team was captained by former lioness, Jill Scott, and the match was hosted at Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to:
* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England
** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066
* Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge
* Stamford Bridge (stadium), in ...
stadium against a World XI, with proceeds going to charity.
Corruption allegations and arrest
On 19 September 2006, Redknapp was shown on camera by BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
''Panorama
A panorama (formed from Greek language, Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any Obtuse angle, wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography (panoramic photography), film, seismic image ...
'' taking part in what appeared to be an interest in approaching a player in a manner forbidden by FA rules. Redknapp denied that his conversation about then-Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
player Andy Todd with the football agent Peter Harrison amounted to "tapping up
In professional team sports, tapping up (British English) or tampering (American English) is an attempt to persuade a player contracted to one team to transfer to another team, without the knowledge or permission of the player's current team. This ...
" or improperly approaching the player. Redknapp referred to Todd as a "tough bastard" during the conversation and suggested he would be interested in signing the player on a full-time basis if he was available. Redknapp told the BBC he has never taken a bung and had given Kevin Bond no reason to think otherwise and that he considers himself to be "one million percent innocent".
In the final report of the Stevens inquiry
The Stevens Inquiries were three official British government inquiries led by Sir John Stevens concerning collusion in Northern Ireland between loyalist paramilitaries and the state security forces. While Stevens declared in 1990 that collusio ...
, published in June 2007, the only criticism of Redknapp concerned his ownership of a racehorse named Double Fantasy thought to have been given to him by the agent Willie McKay
Willie McKay is a Scottish football agent, based in Monaco, known for representing a number of high-profile footballers, particularly in the Premier League and Ligue 1. His clients have included James McFadden, Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony ...
, which has aroused some suspicion. Redknapp told the inquiry it was possible he did own the horse but insisted he had not made any money out of it because the horse was a failure and never won a race.
On 28 November 2007, Redknapp, along with Portsmouth's managing director Peter Storrie
Peter Storrie (born 7 November 1952) is a football chief executive. He was also a former director and chief executive officer of English team Portsmouth, and had formerly worked for West Ham United, Southend United and Notts County.
Clubs involv ...
, former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandarić, agent Willie McKay
Willie McKay is a Scottish football agent, based in Monaco, known for representing a number of high-profile footballers, particularly in the Premier League and Ligue 1. His clients have included James McFadden, Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony ...
and footballer Amdy Faye
Amdy Moustapha Faye (born 12 March 1977) is a Senegalese former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and could also play as a centre back.
Faye began his career with Monégasque club AS Monaco, French clubs ES Fréjus ...
had been arrested by City of London Police
The City of London Police is the territorial police force#United Kingdom, territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle Temple, Middle and Inner Temple, Inner Temples.
The for ...
on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. Redknapp was later released without charge and announced his intention to sue the police because of his arrest, considering it as the reason for the failure of the FA
The Football Association (the FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsibl ...
to consider him for manager of the England national team after the sacking of Steve McClaren
Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Jamaica national team.
McClaren began his coaching career with Oxford United, before joining Derby County in 1995. In 1999 ...
. The High Court ruled in May 2008 that the raid by City of London Police officers, on Redknapp's home in Poole
Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...
, was illegal and quashed the search warrants, calling their actions "wholly unacceptable" and ordering them to pay £1,000 damages to Redknapp as well as part of his legal costs.
Following further investigation by HM Revenue & Customs
His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (commonly HM Revenue and Customs, or HMRC, and formerly Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) is a Departments of the United Kingdom Government, department of the UK government responsible for the tax collectio ...
as part of the corruption enquiry, in January 2010, Redknapp was charged with two counts of cheating the public revenue, along with Milan Mandarić. The charge related to a £189,000 payment from Mandarić to Redknapp via a bank account in Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
. The trial began at Southwark Crown Court
The Crown Court at Southwark, usually referred to as Southwark Crown Court, is a Crown Court venue at 1 English Grounds (off Battlebridge Lane) on the south bank of the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge in London. It operates ...
on 23 January 2012. Part of Redknapp's defence was that he was both dyscalculic and dyslexic
Dyslexia (), previously known as word blindness, is a learning disability that affects either reading or writing. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, reading quickly, writ ...
and therefore had difficulty in dealing with transfer contracts. He was found not guilty on both counts on 8 February 2012.
England manager's job
Redknapp's acquittal came just hours before the resignation of England national team head coach Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello (; born 18 June 1946) is an Italian former professional association football, football manager (association football), manager and player.
As a player, Capello represented SPAL, AS Roma, Roma, AC Milan and Juventus FC, Juventus. H ...
. Two days later, he refused to rule himself out of the running for the job, but said it would be very difficult to combine the role with his then position as Tottenham manager. A few weeks later, the FA appointed Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson (born 9 August 1947) is an English former football manager and player.
He has managed 22 different teams in eight countries, beginning in Sweden with Halmstad in the 1976 season. He later guided the Switzerland national team to t ...
as manager.
Personal life
Redknapp and his wife Sandra have two sons: Jamie
Jamie is a unisex name. Traditionally a masculine name, it can be diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names and is of Scottish English origin. It is also given as a name in its own right. Since the mid-20th century it has been used a ...
, a football pundit and former professional footballer; and Mark, a model. Jamie made his professional debut under his father at Bournemouth in 1990 before moving on to Liverpool and later Tottenham Hotspur and lastly Southampton before retiring in 2005. Harry's grandson via his son Mark, also called Harry Redknapp, signed for Bournemouth during May 2014. His nephew is former England midfielder Frank Lampard, Jr. whose parents are Sandra's late twin sister, Patricia, and Harry's former teammate and managerial assistant Frank Lampard, Sr.
Frank Richard George Lampard (born 20 September 1948) is an English former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He played most of his career for West Ham United, had a brief spell with Southend United, and was capped twice for the ...
Redknapp and his wife are the fundraising presidents for the Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
-based charity Leukaemia Busters, a role they took over in 2004 previously held by former cricketer David Gower
David Ivon Gower (born 1 April 1957) is an English cricket commentator and former cricketer who was captain of the England cricket team during the 1980s. Described as one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of his era, Gower played 117 T ...
and his wife Thorunn.
Redknapp and his wife also own a property development company, Pierfront Developments. In August 2011, it was announced that a housing development their company was building in Southsea, Hampshire, would go ahead without affordable housing. The £600,000 they offered to the council to build affordable homes elsewhere, was accepted by the council. Opponents of the scheme estimated this will only be enough to build eight homes instead of the 28 that council policy says they should be building in this development. In October 2019, planning permission was granted for the company to convert a homeless shelter in Bournemouth into flats, despite pleas from residents who told planning authorities that the development would exacerbate homelessness and put their welfare at risk.
In January 2011, Redknapp was mugged while attending a football match in Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
. On 2 November 2011, he had an operation to unblock coronary arteries
The coronary arteries are the arteries, arterial blood vessels of coronary circulation, which transport oxygenated blood to the Cardiac muscle, heart muscle. The heart requires a continuous supply of oxygen to function and survive, much like any ...
. Redknapp wrote for the online gambling
Online gambling (also known as iGaming or iGambling) is any kind of gambling conducted on the internet. This includes virtual poker, casinos, and sports betting. The first online gambling venue opened to the general public was ticketing for th ...
company, Betfair
Betfair is a British Gambling, gambling company founded in 2000. Its product offering includes betting exchange, sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. Business operations are led from its headquarters in London, alongsi ...
, as its "Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
columnist".
In 1998 Redknapp published his autobiography, ''Harry Redknapp: My Autobiography''. It was co-written with Derek McGovern. His second autobiography, ''Always Managing'', was published in 2013. It was ghostwritten by journalist Martin Samuel
Martin Samuel (born 25 July 1964) is an English sports columnist for News UK and has previously worked for the ''Daily Mail, The Times, News of the World, GQ, The Tortoise, Jewish Chronicle, Daily Express, The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun'' an ...
.
Redknapp was a contestant in the 2018 series of ''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' He subsequently won the show, and was crowned 'King of the Jungle'.
Redknapp is the owner of racehorse, "Shakem Up'Arry" which won the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt racing, National Hunt steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or o ...
at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Race ...
.
Career statistics
Player
Manager
Honours
Player
England U18
*UEFA European Under-18 Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply the Euro Under-19, is an annual football competition, contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the UEFA member associations.
Spain is the most successful team in this competit ...
: 1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
Manager
AFC Bournemouth
*Associate Members' Cup
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier League ...
: 1983–84
West Ham United
*UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
: 1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
Portsmouth
*Football League First Division
The Football League First Division was the top division of the Football League in England from 1888 until the end of the 1991–92 season, when its teams broke away to form the Premier League. From 1992 to 2004, the name First Division was g ...
: 2002–03
*FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 2007–08[
Tottenham Hotspur
*]Football League Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
runner-up: 2008–09
Queens Park Rangers
*Football League Championship play-offs
The English Football League (EFL) Championship play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL Championship table and are part of the English Football League play-of ...
: 2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
Individual
*Premier League Manager of the Season
The Premier League Manager of the Season is an annual association football award presented to managers in England. It recognises the most outstanding manager in the Premier League each season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the le ...
: 2009–10
*Premier League Manager of the Month
The Premier League Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League manager each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to ...
: November 1998, April 2004, October 2004, March 2005, April 2006, August 2009, September 2011
The year marked the start of a series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen, and in som ...
, November 2011[
]
Bibliography
Autobiography
*''Harry Redknapp: My Autobiography'' (CollinsWillow, 1998)
*''Always Managing: My Autobiography'' (Ebury Press, 2013)
*''A Man Walks On To a Pitch: Stories from a Life in Football'' (Ebury Press, 2014)
*''It Shouldn't Happen to a Manager'' (Ebury Press, 2016)
References
External links
*
Harry Redknapp
West Ham United statistics
Harry Hotspur – The Start of a revolution
Shelfside Spurs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Redknapp, Harry
1947 births
Living people
Footballers from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
People from Poplar, London
English men's footballers
England men's youth international footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
West Ham United F.C. players
AFC Bournemouth players
Brentford F.C. players
Seattle Sounders (1974–1983) players
Leamington F.C. players
English Football League players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
English expatriate men's footballers
English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
English football managers
West Ham United F.C. managers
AFC Bournemouth managers
Portsmouth F.C. managers
Southampton F.C. managers
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. managers
Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers
Jordan national football team managers
Derby County F.C. non-playing staff
Birmingham City F.C. managers
Yeovil Town F.C. non-playing staff
AFC Bournemouth non-playing staff
English Football League managers
Premier League managers
English expatriate football managers
English expatriate sportspeople in Jordan
Expatriate football managers in Jordan
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British TV series) winners
English autobiographers
21st-century English businesspeople
English businesspeople in real estate
Businesspeople from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Sportspeople with dyslexia
Harry
Harry may refer to:
Television
* ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin
* ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons
* ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...
Phoenix Fire (soccer) players
West Ham United F.C. non-playing staff
English football coaches
English disabled sportspeople
English racehorse owners and breeders