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  • Welcome to another edition of the transfer Talk Podcast on We are in the salubrious surroundings of sandbanks Harry Redknapp, the King of the Jungle The one and only Harry Redknapp is with us Thank you so much for welcoming us to your pleasure.

  • Hurry!

  • I know this is a special place in your heart is where it all began for you, didn't it?

  • Born with how special time was that for you?

  • Well, my charm a balm was amazing for me, you know, is my first I've gone to opt for City with Bobby Bobby Moore for a year Bobby always said to me if ever he got a job in management would like a moment ago and work with him.

  • So it's first job.

  • He should have had a much bigger job, Bobby because of what he was and who he was and how great he was.

  • But end up taking over opt for city, which was obviously nonleague Ishmael Only part time.

  • And so I went in and out the year with Bobby.

  • It's Oxford, hoping that we would move on into bigger and better things.

  • But it didn't work out on by left, then came here and my first coaching experience in league football was reborn.

  • If I came here with David Webb and Dave was a manager, Day was a great character.

  • Knew the game old school.

  • Probably like well, like I was really.

  • But I mean, you know, new players.

  • Nonleague got lot supplies in and I learned an awful lot from my time here with David.

  • We will be and eventually took over later on.

  • Became manager of a club on dad.

  • Nearly 10 years here.

  • You mentioned those 10 years after born with it was assistant manager at West.

  • And then you became manager West Ham United to be called Harry Redknapp, West Ham United manager.

  • What did that mean to you?

  • Yeah, it was great.

  • I mean, it was just funny And I've never you can honestly say I'm Noah over ambitious or a dreamer Ways people tell me about the England job and it's Yeah, I'm like if it happens, it happens.

  • You know, I'm I'm not one that sort would lose is any sleep butts and so obviously had to go back to tuck them part.

  • Obviously as well grew up.

  • I went there, left school at 14 and went the West End.

  • So Western was in my blood.

  • I mean, I went down a game with people like Bobby, Jeff Martin, Order great players.

  • It was a wrong Greenwood, an incredible football manager, a genius, really best football coach I've ever met.

  • And they were great times, you know, incredible times to be were released end or Essex boys.

  • We all came from within 10 mile, eight mile, probably radius in a football ground.

  • Most days, worked in the docks.

  • And, you know, my dad was a doctor there.

  • So many weird and wonderful stories throughout your whole of your managerial career.

  • This is your opportunity to separate the fact from the fiction.

  • I wanna watch you one story.

  • First of all, rewind back to 1994 and ah, Young Andrei Shevchenko, How close were you to signing him for West Ham United?

  • What happened?

  • Me and Frank Lampard Sr was my assistant.

  • He knew a couple of leads from his days in Frank was a canning town boy.

  • We got a phone call from a couple of lads.

  • We Frank, they were proper chapter on the East end, I think, you know, And they were doing lots of business in Russia and Ukraine and they said, Look, we we can get any pleasure You There were no foreign players here, so they said we said, Well, we don't know any plans in Ukraine it so we could get a couple over a couple of the best ones for you to have a look at.

  • So they sent two players over and we put fixed up a game with Barnet reserves.

  • John still was a manager bonnet and still he bought a team over a plate and we played and Shevchenko got two goals.

  • We liked him, but it was not a £1,000,000 which was I remember talking to Frank after me as too much money, you know, if it was only about 17 So I'm 18.

  • So we didn't take him.

  • But they did bring me a few years later, them guys, it is that Harry the judge.

  • I used to bring me up to give you some stick for not taking him, you know?

  • Wow, when you look back now, are you thinking that one that got away But one of many one of many I'm sure over the years one man that you did have in your school was a very young Frank Lampard.

  • Now there's a famous clip from a West Ham fans form in 1996 where you make a really, really staunch defense off Frank Lamb Part are scary.

  • If you think site the publicity's give young frank Nia currency because personally, I don't think he's quite could not be.

  • I think the last couple years you there's some good in the field is go for peanuts made.

  • Holland and Scott can, um, I'll tell you now.

  • You know, you can sit in front, release people, I tell you, without any shadow of a doubt, there will be no comparison with what Frank Lampard will achieve in football on what Scotty Cannon will achieve in football.

  • I don't give him the opportunity, you know, there is no favoritism.

  • In fact, I probably holding back more because I'll tell you what you know when he clearly wasn't ready.

  • Sure.

  • Yeah.

  • I don't think you did badly.

  • Ask No, I think you came into the side and I felt just a moment for the kid came into the side and they did Well, you know what I'm telling you now?

  • I know.

  • I know it might be.

  • Now do you want to say this in front of him?

  • But he will go right to the very top, right to the very top.

  • Hey, all you had it.

  • Can I tell you there ain't no doubt about that?

  • In my opinion, you know, because he's got everything that's needed to become a top class midfield player is that he chewed his first class.

  • He's got strength, He complained.

  • You can pass it and he could score goals.

  • What you said about him, he was certainly right about Frank Lampard.

  • What set him apart?

  • It was the best professional.

  • I've never seen anyone, anyone?

  • The only person I've ever seen train like him was he stayed.

  • If I would go back to his days, remember being in the dressing room?

  • I'll consider it now when the home dressing room at West and Frank's about 18.

  • Wrong.

  • Greenwood came in a set of Frank Sr.

  • Look, I'll fix you up.

  • They got a talking on loan.

  • Frank's got talking.

  • I want to play for West Ham.

  • Why?

  • Don't want got it, Okay, He said it would be good experience for you, and if you do what they might take here.

  • Franklin on plan on a plate.

  • Understand What's wrong with me?

  • You never tell me what's wrong with me.

  • So what?

  • You're not quick enough, Frank.

  • You know, you're like a pace.

  • And for actually, no, I'm not going to say I'll show you.

  • And every day got the spikes.

  • He came in books from spikes every day.

  • Did it sprints every day after training, go out taking spikes on his own.

  • It's been ages runnin, clipping balls, doing different every day, every afternoon.

  • And he just made himself to become a great left back for 20 years for West Ham, and the boy was exactly the same.

  • He trained like no one had ever seen it be at the I look at my window on the training ground four o'clock in the afternoon and you see someone like 200 yards Well, for some of the climb that would offense on was, you know, doing sprints and shooting with a bag of balls.

  • And it was Frank would be out there and he rubbed off.

  • He was a great influence because the way he trained, I think on Rio and they have a little group.

  • Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe, Joe Cold.

  • L saw Frank and that I think it had a big influence on the way they trained as well.

  • But Frank was he was a class apart from anybody when it came to dedication.

  • Wanna be a player on?

  • But the effort you put into it, it was just amazing.

  • He made himself yet salad, obviously.

  • But he made himself into a fantastic football.

  • We'll come to some of those other place in just a moment.

  • But one of the most eye catching you have to say in controversial transfers that you made at West Ham was the one and only power to Kanye.

  • Yeah.

  • Yeah.

  • He said that you saved him.

  • How did you get what you might save me?

  • Well, sure.

  • How did How did you get it meant how much resistance was there from the West Ham?

  • Bollocks.

  • You remember gonna Terry Brown, the chairman?

  • We needed a plan, and I said Terry and I said, Look, you know, we needed He said, Yeah, he calls, Let's get someone in.

  • You know, you need somebody who could.

  • So someone has to take Paolo Di Canio, remember?

  • He put his head in old knees, crawling on their own.

  • Now anybody but him.

  • You know, it pushed the referee Mr Walcott over.

  • And so Yeah, he didn't.

  • I don't We saw him being as being a good idea, but it became a problem.

  • Was itchy.

  • I loved him.

  • I used to watch him play when it was Celtic.

  • It was like a little kid in the playground he wanted take corners, free kicks everything right and get the born Andi witness Sheffield Wednesday.

  • And when we've got a Sheffield, Wednesday goes to just say to the players in the West and team anywhere in that final third latch on nearest man.

  • Mark him just marking throw ins.

  • Whatever.

  • Don't let him pick the ball up in that final foot because he could just do something special on.

  • So when he became available, Yeah, that was it was key for me to try to get him and Duchess for he can change things.

  • It was a gamble.

  • Remember reading a Sunday newspaper from a well known journalist who said that I was walking a tight rope with no safety net under me?

  • Signing to Kenya for one in a £1,000,000 I don't see that being a risk.

  • I think it's very, very cheap and I think it's a great by in my opinion and if it was a very talented player.

  • Theo.

  • But he was an amazing signing.

  • The fans loved him.

  • Quite rightfully, rightly so.

  • You stick to every ability was incredible.

  • He looked after himself, was in great shape.

  • He trained well at the right foods, didn't drink.

  • He said that his life was at rock bottom.

  • His career was at rock bottom.

  • After what happened wing with the referee or cock.

  • I moved with them and not in a normal way like it happened.

  • Toe enables toe a similar on a similar to Celtic.

  • The worst moment off my life career.

  • Move together because I link that to thinks.

  • Did he need convincing?

  • And what did you have to say to him?

  • No, I think you know what I just said.

  • What I said to lots of Plus I saw it.

  • I just I love him.

  • I said I loved what you play.

  • I love you.

  • Ability.

  • The West David feigns love good players.

  • They'll absolutely love you.