Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes one young Spurs star should already be in the conversation to become the club’s next captain.
Tottenham supporters have Roberto De Zerbi to thank for preserving the club’s Premier League status after a remarkable escape from relegation.
The Italian became the third manager to take charge of Spurs during the season and inherited a side that was sitting inside the bottom three with just seven league matches remaining. Despite the circumstances, he managed to guide the club to safety on the final day, finishing two points clear of the drop zone.
Since then, praise has poured in from supporters, pundits and even his own players, with several members of the squad admitting survival would not have been possible without him.
Now, former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has had his say on De Zerbi’s impact and believes the Italian is the right man to lead the club forward.
Harry Redknapp backs Tottenham to be a top-six team next season
Like De Zerbi, Harry Redknapp once inherited a Tottenham side battling relegation before eventually leading them into the League Cup final that year.
Speaking to Standard Sport, the former Spurs boss admitted he never imagined the club would find themselves finishing 17th in consecutive seasons.
“I don’t know, hopefully not!” Redknapp said when asked whether he would have allowed Spurs to fall into such a position.
“When I was there, [Mauricio] Pochettino was there, you would never have imagined us finishing 17th two years running, that’s for sure. It’s been a bit of a disaster really hasn’t it?”
Redknapp pointed towards poor recruitment and the constant managerial changes as major factors behind the club’s decline, but he remains confident that De Zerbi can restore Tottenham to where they belong.
“I think the new manager has sorted it out. I think Tottenham next year, for sure they’ll be a top-six team.
“De Zerbi, I like him. He did a great job at Brighton. All the people I talk to who have played for him like him and respect him. I think he’ll do well, I think next year they’ll be up there.”
Harry Redknapp tips Archie Gray for the captain’s armband
Archie Gray is one of the very few Tottenham players who can hold his head high after Tottenham’s disastrous 2025/26 season, having even won the club’s Player of the Season award.
While the 20-year-old did not feature prominently under De Zerbi during the final weeks of the campaign, the Italian has already revealed that he has exciting plans to help the midfielder specialise in one role moving forward.
And Redknapp believes Gray should be one of the first names Tottenham build around.
“I think Archie Gray would be one of the people that you look to build your team around,” he said.
“He looks a fantastic young pro, good player, and over the last two years, he’s probably been their best player, I think.
“He is, I assume, a captain of the club in the not-too-distant future. Even next year, if I was there, I wouldn’t hesitate to make him captain, even though he’s only a young kid.
“He could be like Ray Wilkins, who became captain of Chelsea when he was very young. He’s good enough to do that.”
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