Harry Redknapp facts for kids
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Redknapp in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Henry James Redknapp | ||
| Date of birth | 2 March 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Poplar, London, England | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1958–1962 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| 1962–1965 | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1965–1972 | West Ham United | 149 | (7) |
| 1972–1976 | AFC Bournemouth | 101 | (5) |
| 1976 | Brentford | 1 | (0) |
| 1976 | Seattle Sounders | 15 | (0) |
| 1976 | AP Leamington | 3 | (0) |
| 1977–1979 | Seattle Sounders | 9 | (0) |
| 1980 | Phoenix Fire | 0 | (0) |
| 1982 | AFC Bournemouth | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 279 | (12) | |
| National team | |||
| 1964 | England U18 | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1983–1992 | AFC Bournemouth | ||
| 1994–2001 | West Ham United | ||
| 2002–2004 | Portsmouth | ||
| 2004–2005 | Southampton | ||
| 2005–2008 | Portsmouth | ||
| 2008–2012 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| 2012–2015 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 2016 | Jordan | ||
| 2017 | Birmingham City | ||
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Henry James Redknapp (born 2 March 1947) is a famous English football manager and former player. He has managed many well-known clubs like West Ham United, Portsmouth, and Tottenham Hotspur.
One of his biggest achievements was winning the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008. He also led Tottenham Hotspur into the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2010. Harry Redknapp officially retired from football management in 2017. His son, Jamie Redknapp, and nephew, Frank Lampard, also became famous footballers.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Harry Redknapp was born in Poplar, London, in 1947. He was the only child of Henry and Violet Redknapp.
When he was just eleven, a scout from Tottenham Hotspur noticed his talent. Harry joined Tottenham's youth team and trained there. At 15, he moved to West Ham United. He even played alongside football legend Bobby Moore. Harry was a big fan of Arsenal when he was a kid.
Later, when he became Tottenham's manager, he spoke about his strong connection to the club. He remembered training there as a young boy.
Playing Career Highlights
West Ham United Years
Harry Redknapp played as a midfielder. He started his professional career at West Ham United. He joined their first team in the 1965–66 season. His debut was a 1–1 draw against Sunderland. He scored his first goal against Tottenham, which was a great moment for him.
Over seven seasons, Harry played 175 matches for West Ham. He scored eight goals during his time there.
Time at AFC Bournemouth
In 1972, Harry moved to AFC Bournemouth, a team in Division 3. He played there for four seasons. In his first season, he played 37 games and scored one goal. He made 114 appearances for Bournemouth, scoring six goals in total.
After leaving Bournemouth, he briefly played one game for Brentford in 1976.
Playing in America: Seattle Sounders
In 1976, Harry joined the North American Soccer League (NASL) club Seattle Sounders. He was a player-coach there. He played 15 games in his first season. The team reached the playoffs.
In 1977, Seattle Sounders made it to the Soccer Bowl final. They played against Pelé's New York Cosmos. Harry played 24 games for Seattle Sounders in total.
International Football
Harry Redknapp played for England at a young age. He represented the England youth team when he was 17. He was part of the team that won the 1964 UEFA European Under-18 Championship. They beat Spain 4–0 in the final match.
Management and Coaching Career
Starting as a Coach
Harry Redknapp began his coaching career in Seattle. He was the player-assistant manager for Seattle Sounders from 1976 to 1979. After that, he helped his former teammate Bobby Moore at Oxford City.
Leading AFC Bournemouth
In 1982, Harry became the assistant manager at Bournemouth. He took over as manager in October 1983. In his first season, he helped Bournemouth avoid relegation. They also famously beat Manchester United 2–0 in the FA Cup.
He led Bournemouth to win the Associate Members' Cup in 1984. In 1987, Bournemouth won the Third Division title. They set a club record for points.
A Difficult Time
In June 1990, Harry was in a serious car accident in Italy. He was watching the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He was badly hurt, suffering a fractured skull and other injuries. Luckily, he made a full recovery. He left Bournemouth at the end of the 1991–92 season.
Managing West Ham United
Harry became assistant manager at West Ham in 1992. In August 1994, he became the manager. He helped West Ham become a strong team in the Premier League. He was known for bringing in talented young players from the club's academy. These included Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, and his nephew Frank Lampard.
West Ham finished fifth in the league in 1999. This was one of their best seasons ever. They also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. Harry left West Ham in May 2001.
First Time at Portsmouth
In 2001, Harry joined Portsmouth as director of football. In March 2002, he became the manager. He led the club to win the Football League First Division title in the 2002–03 season. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League. Harry kept Portsmouth in the Premier League for the 2003–04 season. He resigned in November 2004 after disagreements with the club owner.
Short Spell at Southampton
A few weeks later, Harry became manager of Southampton. This move surprised many fans because Portsmouth and Southampton are big rivals. Harry tried to keep Southampton in the Premier League, but they were relegated. He resigned in December 2005.
Return to Portsmouth and FA Cup Glory
Harry returned to Portsmouth in December 2005. The club was in danger of relegation. He helped them stay in the Premier League. In the next season, Portsmouth finished ninth, their highest league finish since the 1950s.
On 8 March 2008, Harry led Portsmouth to an FA Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United. They then beat West Bromwich Albion in the semi-final. On 17 May 2008, Portsmouth won the FA Cup Final 1–0 against Cardiff City. This was a huge achievement for the club and for Harry. He is the last English manager to win a major English trophy.
Leading Tottenham Hotspur
In October 2008, Harry became the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur. This was the club where he started his playing career. When he arrived, Spurs were at the bottom of the Premier League. But in his first two weeks, he quickly moved them out of the relegation zone.
In 2009, Harry signed new players like Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane. In the 2009–10 season, he guided Spurs to a fourth-place finish. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League play-off. For his great work, he won the Premier League Manager of the Year award.
Tottenham made a surprising run to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2011. They were eventually knocked out by Real Madrid. Harry was sacked by Tottenham in June 2012.
Queens Park Rangers Journey
On 24 November 2012, Harry was appointed manager of Queens Park Rangers (QPR). The team was at the bottom of the league. He got his first win as QPR manager in December 2012.
In April 2013, QPR was relegated from the Premier League. However, Harry led them back to the Premier League in 2014. They won the Play-off Final against Derby County. Harry resigned as QPR manager in February 2015 due to a knee operation.
Short Stays and Retirement
In March 2016, Harry briefly managed the Jordan national team. His first match was an 8–0 win.
On 18 April 2017, he became manager of Birmingham City. He helped them avoid relegation. He signed a one-year deal to continue. However, after a series of defeats, he was sacked in September 2017. A month later, Harry Redknapp confirmed his retirement from management after 34 years.
Other Roles and Appearances
After retiring from full-time management, Harry took on various advisory roles. He worked as a director at Wimborne Town and as a football advisor for Derby County. He also became a football consultant for Australian side Central Coast Mariners.
In 2018, Harry Redknapp was a contestant on the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He won the show and was crowned 'King of the Jungle'. He has also made a small appearance in the British soap opera, EastEnders. In 2024, he co-managed the England football team for Soccer Aid 2024.
Personal Life
Harry Redknapp is married to Sandra. They have two sons, Jamie and Mark. His son, Jamie Redknapp, is a former professional footballer and now a football pundit. Harry's nephew is Frank Lampard, another famous former footballer.
Harry and Sandra support the charity Leukaemia Busters. Harry has also written two autobiographies, Harry Redknapp: My Autobiography and Always Managing.
Career Statistics
Player
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Ham United | 1965–66 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 1966–67 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| 1967–68 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| 1968–69 | 36 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 3 | |
| 1969–70 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 1970–71 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 1971–72 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| Total | 149 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 175 | 8 | |
| AFC Bournemouth | 1972–73 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| 1973–74 | 39 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 46 | 5 | |
| 1974–75 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 1975–76 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 101 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 114 | 6 | |
| Brentford | 1976–77 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Seattle Sounders | 1976 | 15 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||
| 1977 | 5 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1978 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1979 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 24 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 0 | |||
| AFC Bournemouth | 1982–83 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Career total | 276 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 316 | 14 | |
Manager
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| AFC Bournemouth | 19 October 1983 | 9 June 1992 | 457 | 180 | 107 | 170 | 39.39 |
| West Ham United | 10 August 1994 | 9 May 2001 | 327 | 121 | 85 | 121 | 37.00 |
| Portsmouth | 25 March 2002 | 24 November 2004 | 116 | 54 | 26 | 36 | 46.55 |
| Southampton | 8 December 2004 | 2 December 2005 | 49 | 13 | 21 | 15 | 26.53 |
| Portsmouth | 7 December 2005 | 26 October 2008 | 128 | 54 | 29 | 45 | 42.19 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 26 October 2008 | 13 June 2012 | 198 | 98 | 50 | 50 | 49.49 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 24 November 2012 | 3 February 2015 | 105 | 36 | 26 | 43 | 34.29 |
| Jordan | 15 March 2016 | 29 March 2016 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 |
| Birmingham City | 18 April 2017 | 16 September 2017 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 30.77 |
| Total | 1,395 | 561 | 345 | 489 | 40.22 | ||
Honours
Player
England U18
- UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1964
Manager
AFC Bournemouth
- Associate Members' Cup: 1983–84
West Ham United
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
Portsmouth
- Football League First Division: 2002–03
- FA Cup: 2007–08
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2008–09
Queens Park Rangers
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2014
Individual
- Premier League Manager of the Season: 2009–10
- Premier League Manager of the Month: November 1998, April 2004, October 2004, March 2005, April 2006, August 2009, September 2011, November 2011
Images for kids
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Redknapp in 2011
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Redknapp interviewed by Louise Redknapp during Soccer Aid 2008
See also
In Spanish: Harry Redknapp para niños
