‘If Gareth Southgate doesn’t win something with England, it will be a big failure’

LEGENDARY football manager Harry Redknapp says Gareth Southgate will feel like a failure if he doesn’t land a trophy with England.

Speaking to GB News, the ex-Spurs and West Ham boss also spoke about meeting wife Sandra, a love story detailed in his new book called When Harry Met Sandra.

Harry said: “I really am romantic, when we met. We met when we were 17 and we used to have a little dance on a Sunday night in a little dance hall above a pub called The Two Puddings in the East End of London in Stratford. Not a very romantic name The Two Puddings though!

“That’s where we met, we used to go and have a little dance. I used to go with a mate of mine who was playing with me at West Ham at the time. We were just two young footballers trying to make our way into the first team.

“Sandra was with her friend and we had a dance and that was it really. That would be 59 years ago now.”

After England were knocked out of the World Cup 2022 against France, many football fans have called for manager Gareth Southgate to be sacked.

However, Harry thinks there’s still room for Southgate to stay: “I don’t know. I think everyone got carried away saying ‘how fantastic, well done’. We have a fantastic team, I think we had the best squad of players in the tournament. We should have won the Euros at home really at Wembley in England, but we got beat to the final.

“The World Cup before, I felt the draw was fantastic for us. We ended up in a great half of the draw and then we got beat by Croatia in the semi-final.

“We’ve had great chances to win a tournament really. If Gareth [Southgate] goes, whoever takes that job has got a great chance to be successful because it’s an amazing squad of players. So many good young players coming through.

“I don’t think he will leave, I think he’ll think to himself surely I’ve got to win something with this group. If he doesn’t it will feel like a big failure.”

Harry also shared his views on England forward Harry Kane, who missed the penalty that saw England lose to France. Asked if he’d messaged the player he said: “I haven’t yet but I will speak to Harry [Kane] at some stage. He’s an amazing professional, he’s a special footballer and so dedicated. He will get over that penalty.

“He’s a strong character, he’ll just get on with it. Next week he’ll come out and if there’s a penalty he will take it.”

Discussing managing a team, Harry said: “It’s not easy obviously, I think it’s getting tougher. It’s certainly getting tougher. Since back in my day and the last few years I can see a big change. There’s more control over players, teams, and chairman. It’s certainly getting harder and you’ve got to handle them with kid gloves now and you mustn’t upset them because they’ll go and tell their agent who will tell their chairman and oh my God it’s not easy believe you me.”

As the World Cup draws to a close, Harry is tipping Argentina to lift the trophy. He said: “I’ve had a feeling from the start, I must admit I fancied Argentina. I just had this feeling it was written in the stars. Messi is going to finish his World Cup and play in the World Cup by winning the World Cup.

“He’s going to be the leading goal scorer and he’s going to win the golden boot. It’s going to be Messi, Messi, Messi and I’ve just got a feeling that’s how it’s going to finish. I can see it going his way, for Argentina and him winning the golden boot.I’ve just got a feeling that Argentina are going to do it.

“I thought Portugal had a big chance. I went with either one of them and thought they both had a chance at the start if I’m honest. I obviously wanted England to win it, but I did have a feeling it would be Portugal or Argentina and Messi or Ronaldo. Everything seems to end up with them. All the news is about them and I just thought one of them would win it this year.”