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When the celestial cry goes up — “Show us your medals!” — Harry Redknapp will be among those shuffling with embarrassment.
His one major honour, the FA Cup in 2008, was won by players whom Portsmouth, it turned out, could not afford.
But you shouldn’t judge a football man by the contents of his trophy cabinet alone. If you did, you’d deem Phil Neville a greater player than Bryan Robson, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker combined. When all is said and done, Redknapp the manager will be remembered at various places for providing football that, if it were literature, would be described as a rattling good yarn.
Pompey followers saw it nearly do for a Milan spearheaded by Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko; Spurs fans will recall its thrilling, and this time successful, infliction on Inter. But now, as Maicon continues his career with Roma, it’s taxi for Redknapp.
With instructions to head for the television studios? Redknapp is a refreshingly straight talker with a turn of phrase and anecdotal gift that made his recent autobiography a best seller.
Freed from the constraints of a job within the game, he could take punditry onto a new level. But, if departure from Queens Park Rangers concludes his hands-on relationship with football, I’ll be surprised.
The contenders to replace Harry Redknapp at QPR
There will be a club somewhere which craves his experience.
It could be as big as Newcastle or Glasgow Rangers — remember how Mike Ashley tried to lure Redknapp to St James’ Park — or a hitherto obscure backwater.
The leg operation? Redknapp has survived worse. In 1990, while in Italy watching the World Cup with friends, he was involved in the road crash that cost the lives of Bournemouth managing director Brian Tiler and four others.
Redknapp’s injuries were so severe that a blanket was put over his head. But, after two days of unconsciousness, he began a recovery. In this context, perhaps, should be seen the suspicion that he has made a little too much of his subsequent career.
