Harry Redknapp is backing Michael Carrick for the full-time Manchester United job, saying his appointment would be a much-needed boost for English coaches.
Redknapp, the 78-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United manager, was in the UAE on Friday for the launch of the London Sport Institute in Dubai by Middlesex University.
He said English coaches need to be given more opportunities, with clubs too often choosing to appoint “second-rate foreign managers”.
Carrick has won four out of four since taking the United job on an interim basis following the sacking of Ruben Amorim last month. They are now up to fourth in the Premier League after a 2-0 victory over Spurs on Saturday.
Redknapp gave Carrick his senior debut at West Ham in 1999, with the midfielder going on to spend two seasons at Tottenham before joining United in 2006, where he won every major honour available to him, including five Premier Leagues and the Uefa Champions League.
“I saw him when he was a 12-year-old at West Ham,” said Redknapp. “He used to come down from Newcastle during the school holidays. He's just the nicest guy, fantastic footballer, class player, passed the ball, read the game, and I'm just so happy that he's got a chance.
“We don't have to keep bringing in second-rate foreign managers to England. There's enough lads there. Give them the opportunity to do the job. There's lads in the lower divisions. Give them an opportunity.
“Michael's got a chance now, so I'm pulling every week for him to keep getting results and get that job on a full-time basis.”
Frank struggling at Spurs
One of English football’s most recognisable faces, Redknapp is best known for leading Portsmouth to FA Cup glory in 2008 and for influential spells at West Ham and Tottenham, who he guided to Champions League qualification.
United's win over Spurs at the weekend left his former club languishing down in 15th place in the table and with fan fury being directed at unpopular manager Thomas Frank. Redknapp, though, says he should be given at least until the end of the season.
“They have been decimated by injuries this year, Tottenham, so that's a big problem for [Frank],” Redknapp told The National. “Obviously, he's lost some very key players, and it's been hard for him. But I think you need to give him time, certainly to the end of the season.
“I know they've had injuries, but even with that squad, they should certainly be a top-half team pushing to be a top-six, top-four team. So if he doesn't achieve that, then he's going to come under severe pressure again, which is a shame, but I certainly hope they give him time.”
Another of Redknapp's former clubs, West Ham, have begun to collect points under their second coach of the season in Nuno Espirito Santo. A 2-0 victory at Burnley on Saturday was their fourth win in five after a dismal start under Graham Potter left them deep in relegation trouble.
“Playing a lot better suddenly, West Ham,” said Redknapp. “Really impressed last week, first half against Chelsea. West Ham, three weeks ago, I thought they were gone. I thought they'll go down. Now I can see a real chance for them to stay up.”
Delighted for Prince Ali and Jordan
Tottenham's struggles this season even led to some fans asking for Redknapp to return to the club as a caretaker manager.
“I'm getting too old now. I love watching the football, but no, I should be sitting at home watching the World Cup for sure,” Redknapp smiled.
“You never know,” he added, before acknowledging again that it’s unlikely.
One of the teams he will be watching at the World Cup this summer is Jordan, a national team he briefly led back in 2016. A decade later, they have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history.
“Fantastic. I was so happy. I still speak to Prince Ali and it's amazing that they've done that,” Redknapp told The National. “They're really lovely people there – I'm going to be supporting Jordan, that's for sure.”
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, president of the Jordan Football Association since 1999, was the one who persuaded Redknapp to coach the team. And even though he only agreed to take the team for two games, he saw promise.
“Eventually, [I felt they could qualify] but I didn't know it would come this quick. You know, to make this World Cup is incredible for them. So, it must be an exciting time.
“They had potential for sure. I mean, I was only a short visitor. I only agreed to go and do two games. I managed the team [against] Bangladesh and we went to Australia and played. But I was really impressed with the standard of the players. There were good players there.
“They just needed a coach to go in and work with them and get them going again. And certainly there's talent there, and they love their football. I'm so happy. I stayed up and watched that they qualified. It's brilliant.”
Redknapp 'didn't fit bill' for FA
Jordan proved to be the only country Redknapp coached at international level, despite him being linked with the England job on several occasions. He was viewed as the front-runner to succeed Fabio Capello in 2012 before the English Football Association eventually chose Roy Hodgson.
“It looked like I would get the job at that time,” Redknapp recalled. “You know, that was the vibe that I was getting from the FA, from everybody that was coming back to me.
“But I was at Tottenham and I was enjoying my life there as well. I had a good team. So it was difficult. I don’t know, maybe I just wasn't an FA man, if you like. I think you have to be a certain type to get that job. And I didn't fit that bill.”
Asked by The National if that had been the one job he had really wanted, he said: “It would have been. It would have been a great job to have had. And we had great players. To work with that group at that time would have been amazing. I would have loved it. I'm sure I could have done OK, you know.”
Redknapp was present as Middlesex University Dubai, the emirate’s largest British university, launched LSID – the London Sport Institute in Dubai – bringing one of the world’s most established sport, exercise and health science institutes to the UAE at a time of unprecedented growth.
The Middle East sports industry is valued at $600 billion, with growth approaching nine per cent annually. LSID aims to support the UAE’s sporting ecosystem through education, applied research and industry engagement.
