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 | ||
| Position(s) | 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) | |
| International career | |||
| 1964 | England U18 | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 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 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Harry Redknapp (born 2 March 1947) is a famous English former football manager and player. He has managed many well-known clubs like AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, and Birmingham City.
One of his biggest achievements was leading Portsmouth to win the FA Cup in 2008. He also helped Tottenham Hotspur qualify for the UEFA Champions League in 2010, which was a big deal for the club. Harry Redknapp officially retired from football management in 2017.
His son, Jamie Redknapp, played football for him at Bournemouth and Southampton. Harry is also the uncle of Frank Lampard, who played under him at West Ham United.
Contents
Harry Redknapp's Early Life
Harry Redknapp was born in Poplar, London, on 2 March 1947. He was the only child of Henry and Violet Redknapp.
When he was eleven, a scout from Tottenham Hotspur saw him playing football for East London Schools. Harry then joined Tottenham's youth teams. He trained there and met famous players like Bill Nicholson and Dave Mackay. At 15, he moved to West Ham United and played alongside the legendary Bobby Moore.
Later, when he became Tottenham's manager, Redknapp often spoke about his early connection to the club. He said he knew the club's history and that it was a "big, big club."
Playing Career Highlights
Harry Redknapp played as a midfielder during his football career. He started in the youth team at Tottenham Hotspur before moving to West Ham United at age 15.
Playing for West Ham United
Redknapp joined West Ham United and made his first team debut in the 1965–66 season. His first goal for the club was in a 4–1 win against Tottenham in April 1966. He played for West Ham for seven seasons, making 175 appearances in total and scoring eight goals. He was known for his hard work in midfield.
Time at AFC Bournemouth
In 1972, Redknapp moved to AFC Bournemouth, which was in Division 3 at the time. He played for Bournemouth for four seasons, from 1972 to 1976. During his time there, he made 101 league appearances and scored 5 goals. Bournemouth was relegated to the Fourth Division in 1975.
Playing in America
In 1976, Harry Redknapp went to the United States to play for Seattle Sounders in the NASL. He was a player-coach there, meaning he played and also helped with coaching. He played 15 games in his first season. He later returned to Seattle and played a few more games before joining Bobby Moore at another club.
International Youth Football
Harry Redknapp represented England at youth level when he was 17 years old. He was part of the England Under-18 team that won the 1964 UEFA European Under-18 Championship in 1964. They beat Spain 4–0 in the final.
Harry Redknapp's Management Career
Harry Redknapp had a long and successful career as a football manager. He started as a player-assistant manager in the US before taking on bigger roles.
Starting at AFC Bournemouth
Redknapp became the assistant manager at Bournemouth in 1982. In October 1983, he was given the main manager's job. In his first season, he helped Bournemouth avoid relegation. They also famously beat Manchester United 2–0 in the FA Cup, which was a huge upset.
He led Bournemouth to win the first-ever Associate Members' Cup in 1984. In 1987, Bournemouth won the Third Division title with a record 97 points, moving up to the Second Division. After two years, they were relegated back to the Third Division.
A Difficult Accident
In June 1990, while in Italy for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Harry Redknapp was in a serious car accident. He was with other football officials when their minibus crashed. Harry was seriously injured, suffering a fractured skull, a broken nose, and cracked ribs. He was unconscious for two days. Despite his injuries, he made a full recovery, though he lost his sense of smell. He left Bournemouth at the end of the 1991–92 season.
Managing West Ham United
After leaving Bournemouth, Redknapp became assistant manager at West Ham United. In August 1994, he took over as the main manager. He helped West Ham become a strong team in the Premier League.
Redknapp was known for bringing talented young players from the club's academy into the first team. These players included Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, and Frank Lampard. He also signed experienced players like Paolo Di Canio. West Ham finished fifth in the Premier League in 1999, which was one of their best seasons ever. They also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. Redknapp left West Ham in May 2001.
First Time at Portsmouth
In 2001, Redknapp joined Portsmouth as director of football. In March 2002, he became the manager. He quickly led Portsmouth to win the Division One title in the 2002–03 season, which meant they were promoted to the Premier League.
He kept Portsmouth in the Premier League in the 2003–04 season. However, he had some disagreements with the club's owner and resigned in November 2004.
Moving to Southampton
Just a few weeks after leaving Portsmouth, Redknapp became the manager of Southampton. This move caused a lot of strong feelings among Portsmouth fans because the two clubs are big rivals.
Redknapp's main job was to keep Southampton in the Premier League, but he couldn't do it, and they were relegated in 2005. He stayed for the next season in the Championship but resigned in December 2005, saying Portsmouth was his "spiritual home."
Return to Portsmouth
Harry Redknapp returned to Portsmouth on 7 December 2005. The club was struggling, but a good run of results helped them stay in the Premier League. The next season, he led Portsmouth to a ninth-place finish, their highest league position since the 1950s.
In January 2008, Redknapp was offered the manager's job at Newcastle United but decided to stay at Portsmouth. On 17 May 2008, he guided Portsmouth to win the FA Cup by beating Cardiff City 1–0 in the final. This was a huge moment for the club and for Redknapp. He was the last English manager to win a major English trophy until Eddie Howe in 2025.
Managing Tottenham Hotspur
In October 2008, Harry Redknapp became the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, the club where he started his playing career. Tottenham was at the bottom of the Premier League table when he arrived. In his first two weeks, he quickly moved them out of the relegation zone with some impressive wins and a thrilling 4–4 draw against rivals Arsenal.
He signed new players like Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane to improve the squad. In March 2009, he led Spurs to the League Cup final, where they lost on penalties to Manchester United.
In the 2009–10 season, Redknapp guided Tottenham to a fourth-place finish, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League play-offs. For this achievement, he won the Premier League Manager of the Year award. Tottenham had a surprising run to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2011 before being knocked out by Real Madrid.
Despite leading Tottenham to another fourth-place finish in 2012, Redknapp was sacked in June 2012 after not agreeing on a new contract.
Time at Queens Park Rangers
On 24 November 2012, Redknapp became the manager of Queens Park Rangers (QPR). The club was at the bottom of the Premier League table. He got his first win as QPR manager in December 2012.
On 28 April 2013, QPR was relegated from the Premier League. However, Redknapp led them back to the Premier League the very next season by winning the Championship Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium in May 2014. He resigned from QPR on 3 February 2015, saying he couldn't give 100% to the job due to an upcoming knee operation.
Short Spells and Retirement
In March 2016, Redknapp briefly managed the Jordan national team for two World Cup qualifying matches. He won his first match 8–0 against Bangladesh.
On 18 April 2017, he was appointed manager of Birmingham City until the end of the season. He helped Birmingham avoid relegation. He signed a one-year deal to continue, but after five straight league defeats, he was sacked on 16 September 2017. A month later, Harry Redknapp confirmed his retirement from management after 34 years.
In February 2023, there were rumors that Redknapp might return to management at Leeds United, but the job went to Javi Gracia instead.
Other Roles and Appearances
Since retiring from full-time management, Harry Redknapp has taken on various other roles in football and media.
- In 2016, he became a director at Wimborne Town and a football advisor for Derby County.
- He also worked as a football consultant for Australian side Central Coast Mariners.
- In October 2017, he briefly advised the manager of Yeovil Town.
- In 2018, Redknapp was a contestant on the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and won, becoming 'King of the Jungle'.
- He has written two autobiographies: Harry Redknapp: My Autobiography (1998) and Always Managing (2013).
- In July 2021, he made a small appearance in the British TV show EastEnders.
- In December 2023, at 76, he helped a local football team called Cwm Albion as part of a special event.
- In June 2024, Redknapp co-managed the England team for Soccer Aid, a charity football match held at Stamford Bridge.
Family Life
Harry Redknapp is married to Sandra. They have two sons, Jamie and Mark. Their son Jamie Redknapp is a well-known football pundit and former professional footballer. Jamie played under his father at Bournemouth and Southampton.
Harry's nephew is Frank Lampard, who is also a famous former England midfielder and manager. Frank Lampard's mother was Sandra's twin sister.
Harry and Sandra are involved with the charity Leukaemia Busters, which helps people with leukaemia. Harry Redknapp also owns a racehorse named "Shakem Up'Arry," which won a race at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
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 and Awards
Player Achievements
England U18
- UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1964
Managerial Achievements
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 Awards
- 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
See also
In Spanish: Harry Redknapp para niños
