Came in to Tottenham with a return to the more traditional manger's role after a number of years under a more European Head Coach set-up, but Harry Redknapp wanted total control of footballing matters at the club, with no Sporting Director involved in transfer dealings. 

After a poor start to the 2008-09 season, Juande Ramos was sacked and Redknapp brought in from Portsmouth to save Tottenham who were bottom of the league at the time with two points from eight matches and the new boss moved Spurs away from the relegation zone and up into mid-table.

As a player, Harry started his career and spent most of it at Upton Park, playing for West Ham United, where he signed as a professional in 1964.  A flighty right winger, Redknapp was normally a provider as he stuck tight to the sideline and crossed a good ball for others to profit from.  Scored his first goal for the club against Spurs in a 4-1 win in 1966.

Moved on to play for Bournemouth in the latter stages of his career, with the Dean Court club giving him his first chance in management in 1983, where his biggest scalp was Manchester United in the Third Round of the FA Cup.  Had started his coaching career as assistant to manager David Webb and Don Megson, but was given the manager's post when Megson was sacked in early 1983.  Harry saved the Cherries from relegation from the Third Division that season and in 1987 gained promotion as champions.  Two seasons later, Bournemouth were relegated.

In 1990, Redknapp went to the World Cup in Italy and was involved in a car crash where Bournemouth's Managing Director Brian Tiler was killed along with four other people.  It left Harry with life threatening injuries, but he pulled through and decided to take a break from the stresses of football management in 1991.

After a season out, he was given the chance to get back into football as assistant manager to Billy Bonds at his first club, West Ham United.  As happened at Dean Court, he was appointed manager in 1994, when Bonds left following a disagreement with the directors of the club.  Redknapp was at Upton Park at a time when a rich vein of young talent came through, including Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick and these players formed the core of his Hammers side.  There was a question mark over the worth of some of his transfer dealings, with Marco Boogers (a Dutch striker who lived in a caravan) and Florian Raducioiu (who enjoyed shopping in the West End with his wife more than playing) as prime examples of money not well spent.  He did have the knack of buying players towards the end of their career to have a last chance of the limelight and add experience to his young team.

Harry took West Ham to fifth place in 1999 and they qualified for the UEFA Cup through the InterToto Cup, but the long season took it's toll and the club finished low down in the league table and Redknapp left with one game of the season remaining in May 2001.

Returned to West Ham as their manager in and spent a good spell there from 1994 to 2001, but left in unhappy circumstances when he criticised the board to a fanzine for the sale of players behind his back and took up a position at Portsmouth, who he took into the Premier League.  Once more, there was a controversial end to his spell as manager at Fratton Park, resigning on 24th November 2004 as a Director of Football was brought in over his head and then when he moved across Hampshire to take charge of the club's biggest rivals Southampton.  Could not keep them in the Premier League and when his old manager's seat at Pompey became available, he moved back despite a number of fans resentful that he had left for the Saints.  Took Portsmouth into the upper reaches of the Premier League and in 2008 won the FA Cup with the club, ensuring their first taste of European football.

Arrested in 2007 as part of an investigation into corruption in football, Harry received an apology for the way his house was raided in part of the investigation, but still remains part of the enquiry being carried out by the City of London Police force.

Harry's son Jamie was a player at Liverpool and Tottenham and spent a short spell playing for him at Southampton before retiring.  Another son is a football agent.  His nephew is Frank Lampard, who played under him at West Ham and moved on to Chelsea.

 

Playing career: West Ham United FC, AFC Bournemouth (twice), Brentford FC, Seattle Sounders
Coaching career: AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United FC, Portsmouth FC (twice), Southampton FC, Tottenham
Hotspur FC
• Started out at West Ham, where his team-mates included future England FIFA World Cup-winning captain Bobby
Moore. A midfielder, Redknapp scored seven goals in 149 appearances before joining Bournemouth in 1972, where
he also played over 100 games.
• Moved to America via Brentford in 1976, spending three years in Seattle where he also worked as assistant coach.
Held the same post to Moore at non-league Oxford City FC and then went to Bournemouth, where he was appointed
manager in late 1983. Masterminded an FA Cup shock against holders Manchester United FC in January 1984.
• Left in summer 1992, returning to West Ham as assistant to Billy Bonds, whom he succeeded as manager in 1994.
Gave first-team chances to the likes of Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole during his seven years in charge.
• Appointed Portsmouth's director of football in 2001, Redknapp stepped into the manager's chair the following year.
Took them into the Premier League in 2003 and, after a year in charge of local rivals Southampton, returned in
December 2005, winning the FA Cup in 2008.
• Struggling Tottenham turned to Redknapp that October and he steered the team away from relegation trouble, also
reaching the League Cup final. In 2009/10 he led the club to fourth position in the Premier League, earning a new
contract until 2013.