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Glenn Hoddle took a huge gamble on the injury prone Jamie Redknapp when
he signed him on a free transfer from Liverpool in April 2002, but
having known the player from his reign as England manager, Hoddle was
confident that Redknapp's passing style would suit the traditions of the
club. Redknapp started life with Tottenham by making an immediate
return to Merseyside as the north Londoners faced Everton on the opening
day of the 2002-2003 season. Jamie was influential in the heart of the
Tottenham midfield during a 2-2 draw as he completed his first 90
minutes of football since October 2001. One week later he made his home
debut, scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa. The goal
was somewhat fortuitous, a free kick just to the left of the penalty box
was cleared only as far as Redknapp who, from 25 yards, flicked the
ball up and lobbed the ball over a melee of players, including
goalkeeper Peter Enckleman who had stayed down after being hurt in a
collision during the original clearance.
It was a stroke of luck that
not many could begrudge Redknapp as he looked to put his injury woes
behind him at his new club. Jamie improved on his promising start as he
went on to make a string of first team appearances, including the away
trip to Blackburn Rovers in which he scored an 88th minute winner in a
2-1 victory. Redknapp's luck eventually ran dry however when he picked
up a stress fracture to his toe in early December, an injury that was
expected to keep him out of action for about 5 weeks, but actually
lasted for 5 months. Jamie managed to return to first team action in the
penultimate game of the season away to Middlesbrough, and although
Spurs were well and truly beaten 5-1, Redknapp himself provided the one
highlight of the afternoon for the travelling support by curling home a
trademark free kick into the top corner. The 2003-04 campaign offered
much promise for Jamie as he was handed the captain's armband following
Teddy Sheringham's departure that summer, but Tottenham started the
campaign as they finished the last, poorly. Having already suffered
defeats to Birmingham City and Fulham, the Tottenham board terminated
Hoddle's contract after a 3-1 home defeat against Southampton, in which
the luckless Redknapp suffered yet another knee injury. This time Jamie
was ruled out for 6 months but was able to return in March and managed
to make starting appearances in the final seven games of the season.
The
highlight of his second campaign at Tottenham came in the north London
derby at White Hart Lane. At 2-0 down at half-time, it was turning out
to be a miserable day for Tottenham supporters as Arsenal were on course
to wrap up the championship, but Spurs came out fighting in the second
half and Redknapp's rasping drive from fully 25 yards inspired a
comeback that was completed with an injury time Robbie Keane penalty.
Arsenal may have clinched the title, but Tottenham fans left the Lane
with their heads held high thanks to Redknapp's influential second half
performance. A new look Spurs, on both management and player fronts, for
the 2004-05 campaign limited Redknapp's first team opportunities, but
he managed to avoid serious injury for the first half of the season,
making 14 appearances. In the January transfer window, Jamie bid
farewell to north London and returned to the south coast on a free
transfer to join his father, Harry, in his successful efforts to save
Southampton from relegation.
That summer Redknapp announced his
retirement from the game, bringing a premature end to a fine career that
could have been so much better if not for such wretched luck with
injuries. (Stephen Bradley)
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