Redknapp reveals he was previously offered the Spurs job by Daniel Levy

Harry Redknapp has revealed that he was offered the Tottenham job by Daniel Levy two years before he eventually became Spurs manager.

Redknapp took over in 2008 after Juande Ramos was sacked just eight games into the new season following a disastrous start to the campaign.

The Lilywhites looked like they could have a relegation battle on their hands when the 73-year-old arrived at the club. However, they managed to turn their form around quickly and finished a respectable eighth place that season.

Redknapp went on to have three more successful seasons at White Hart Lane, two of which ended in fourth-place finishes.

However, he revealed that he could have become Spurs manager two years before he eventually did but turned the offer down as he did not want to replace Martin Jol, who was adored by the Spurs fans.

Speaking on the latest episode of That Peter Crouch Podcast, the Spurs boss said: “Everything’s done behind closed doors. I was offered the job at Tottenham two years before I took it.

“Martin Jol was the manager. It wasn’t the right time for me to come here. I said to him (Daniel Levy), ‘the fans like the manager and you’ll be getting rid of someone they like, It won’t be a good idea for me to come in here’. I didn’t want to take it.”

Redknapp also revealed that he was not immediately convinced when Levy returned for him two years later and only made the decision to join Spurs as Portsmouth needed the compensation.

He added: “After Martin Jol, they had Juande Ramos and then I came in after him. Daniel rang me up again, and even then, the day I went to meet Daniel, I wasn’t going to take the job.”

“I was so happy at Portsmouth, loved my time there. But then I spoke to my chief executive at Portsmouth who said we were getting £5m in compensation and the Russian owner was well pleased. It made my mind up for me.

“It was a great move for me anyway, Tottenham. It was a great club for me to go to.”

Spurs Web Opinion

If Redknapp had replaced Jol two years before he eventually become Spurs manager, that certainly wouldn’t have been a popular decision among Spurs fans considering the connection Jol had with the fan base. As it happened, Harry walked in at the perfect time and got an underperforming team playing to their best again.

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