Redknapp keen on England post

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has indicated he may be interested in the England job – should current boss Fabio Capello leave the post. (Tottenham 50/1 to win Premiership)

Capello’s position has come under scrutiny following a disastrous World Cup campaign, which culminated in a last-16 exit at the hands of Germany on Sunday afternoon.

Many pundits had tipped England to go all the way this time but they showed a lack of ambition and drive and looked devoid of ideas in the final third of the pitch in Bloemfontein.

Despite the Germany defeat, Capello insists he “absolutely” wants to stay on as manager but the FA have said they will take up to two weeks to decide his fate.

Redknapp has been one of the most successful English managers of the last 15 years, enjoying spells at West Ham United, Portsmouth and Southampton, before making the switch to White Hart Lane in 2008 and would certainly be on the shortlist of candidates to replace Capello, should he leave.

The 63-year-old appears to have the Midas touch and transformed Spurs from a side fighting relegation to a Champions League outfit in under two years.

And now there have been calls for the popular tactician to be handed the England reigns, with many feeling it is high time an Englishman was in charge of the national side once again.

It is yet to be revealed whether Capello will be sent packing but Redknapp has made it clear that, if asked, he would not turn down one of the most prestigious and high-pressure jobs in the whole of sport.

“They (the FA) have got a manager and until he’s not the manager it’s difficult to talk about it,” he told Talksport. “But I’m English, who wouldn’t want to manage England.”

“There’s not an Englishman – whether it’s me, Roy Hodgson or Sam Allardyce – who would turn the job down because it’s our country and we want to manage our country. No-one is ever going to turn that job down.”

The Spurs boss is currently preparing for the new Premiership season, which kicks off for Tottenham in August with a fixture against Manchester City (Spurs 5/4 to beat City), but his thoughts are never far away from the national side and he has strong views on the type of person who should success Capello – whenever that might be.

“When he finally moves on, in four years or whatever, surely there has to be a young guy or somebody in this country,” he added. “Surely we have to find a manager from England, an English manager.”

And Redknapp took time to have a dig at the two foreigners who have failed spectacularly at the two past World Cups.

“We should be able to produce someone who can manage the England football team and let’s be honest, they can’t do any worse than what they’ve (Eriksson and Capello) done,” he concluded.

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Rafa closes in on Inter post

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez appears to have wasted little time in moving on following his departure from Liverpool (10/1 2010/11 Premier League champions) last week by reportedly agreeing a deal to take over as the new manager of European champions Inter Milan.

Inter president Massimo Moratti has dropped a big hint that the Spanish coach will be installed as Jose Mourinho’s replacement at the San Siro and he is expected to be officially confirmed as their new boss in the next 48 hours.

Moratti told reporters in Italy: “The next few hours could be decisive. But we must ask (technical director Marco) Branca.”

Benitez will also reportedly take his Anfield assistant Mauricio Pellegrino, goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero and fitness coach Paco de Miguel with him to Italy, leaving Liverpool with plenty of holes to fill in their coaching staff when they do move to make an appointment.

It is believed Benitez has agreed a three-year deal with Inter, worth five million euros per season, as he looks to keep the Italian treble winners at the pinnacle of club and European football next season.

Benitez, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006 during his six-year tenure on Merseyside, was linked with a move to Serie A towards the end of last season but it was Juventus who were courting the former Valencia chief, but a deal failed to materialise and he has instead opted for Milan.

Meanwhile, Liverpool continue their search for a new boss with plenty of candidates said to be keen on taking the hot-seat despite the ongoing uncertainty over the club’s ownership.

American pair Tom Hicks and George Gillett continue to look for new investment but the lack of financial clout in the transfer market could affect who is eventually named new manager as there may not be much money to spend on new players.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson seems to be the top choice for the Reds and is totesport’s 6/4 favourite, but Kenny Dalglish (5/1), Martin O’Neill (3/1), Harry Redknapp (11/1) and Sven Goran Eriksson (10/1) are the other names in the frame at the minute.

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