Overlooked Redknapp launches stinging attack on Football Association after Hodgson appointment.
Harry Redknapp has launched a sensational attack on the FA after he was overlooked for the job of England manager.
Then Tottenham boss Redknapp was the favourite to replace Fabio Capello for England in early 2012 but the FA opted for West Brom head-coach Roy Hodgson.
Redknapp was consequently sacked by Spurs and is currently managing Championship outfit QPR.
In a dramatic attack on English football’s governing body, Redknapp says he holds no grudge against Hodgson but claimed the FA ‘haven’t got a clue’.
“I wouldn’t trust the FA to show me a good manager if their lives depended on it,” he wrote in his autobiography, serialised in the Daily Mail.
“This isn’t about them giving the England job to me or Roy Hodgson, but English football being run by people who really haven’t got a clue – and they get to pick the England manager.”
The 66-year-old, who has also managed West Ham, Southampton and Portsmouth, insisted he was the leading choice of both fans and senior England players.
“Everyone said I was the people’s choice, the only choice. All the senior players seemed to be up for me to get the job.
“I got quite a few text messages at the time from players saying they would love me to manage England: Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry.
“But the FA went for Roy Hodgson to be the England manager – a man who is more their cup of tea.”
Tottenham won just once in 10 matches following Capello’s departure, amid fevered speculation that Redknapp was set to succeed the Italian.
Redknapp has consistently claimed he was not distracted by the talk but has revealed he wanted Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, then in charge of Swansea, to be his assistant if he got the England post.
“My thinking on Brendan was this: if he can do it with players from the lower leagues at Swansea what can he do with Rio and Terry or Rooney and Gerrard?” he added.
“So when Tottenham played Swansea on 1 April, 2012 I pulled Brendan after the game and said that if all the speculation about me and England was true would he consider coming to the European Championships in the summer as my part-time coach?
“I told him I wanted England to play with as much technical ambition as Swansea. He was up for it.
“Some Tottenham fans might think I was distracted from my club job, but I can assure you the conversation took five minutes. And we beat Swansea 3-1 that day.”
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