London – Harry Redknapp has claimed a massive buy-out clause in his Tottenham contract was the only reason he didn't get the chance to become England manager.
Redknapp, now in charge at QPR, was the favourite to replace Fabio Capello after the Italian resigned in February 2012, but the Football Association eventually made the surprise decision to hire Roy Hodgson from West Bromwich Albion.
The 66-year-old, who was sacked by Tottenham in June after failing to agree a new contract, believes the reported £5 million buy-out clause in his deal with the north London club convinced the FA to look elsewhere.
“I wouldn't take it (the England job) now, no. Not now, not in the future,” Redknapp told Twentyfour7 Football magazine.
“That was my time, really, if I was going to get it. Last year there were a lot of things that went against me surrounding that massive contractual clause.
“People will always deny that is the reason, the FA couldn't say that and I won't say, but it didn't help me.
“I had such a badly loaded contract it was crazy, in Tottenham's favour. That's what you get for not reading your contract properly.
“It was a massive amount that someone would have had to pay to get me out of it.
“If they sacked me it wasn't so massive and that was a bolt out of the blue, a shock, I genuinely never saw it coming.”
Redknapp insists Tottenham's decision to sack him was made by owner Joe Lewis and not chief executive Daniel Levy, who reportedly had a strained relationship with the then Spurs boss.
“Was it Levy who cut the cord? It was other people, the owner of the club that decided,” Redknapp added. – Sapa-AFP