Harry Redknapp open to sensational Tottenham return after 11 years if Antonio Conte is sacked

Harry Redknapp has admitted that he would love to make a sensational return to Tottenham if Spurs manager Antonio Conte is axed from the Premier League club.

Conte has been under mounting pressure at Tottenham this season and plunged his future into doubt at the club after an explosive outburst in his press conference.

The Tottenham head coach ruthlessly slammed his “selfish” players and took aim at the club’s ownership and culture after Southampton’s 3-3 comeback win on Saturday.

It is expected that Conte could leave Tottenham before the end of the international break, but an official announcement has not been made at the time of writing.

According to reports, Ryan Mason could be appointed Tottenham caretaker manager for the remainder of the season if Conte does part way with Spurs.

Redknapp, who has been out of management since his 2017 spell with Birmingham City, spent four years at Tottenham before he went on to sign for QPR in 2012.

When asked if he would take the Tottenham post if it became available, he told talkSPORT: “If someone asks you, I think it would be hard to say no, I’ll be truthful.

“When you love it, you do find it hard to say no, as Roy and Neil would agree.”

Redknapp insisted that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has not been in contact, but he added that it would be “hard to say no” if his former club made an approach for him.

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When asked if Levy had reached out to him, he said: “No, definitely not, that has not happened.

“But you look at what you’re doing now, sitting around, having a game of golf, and it’s not the money, it’s the challenge, you love it, the buzz of it, winning a game is a fantastic feeling. It’s hard to say no.”

Redknapp revealed that he would “love” to offer his services to Mason, who was Spurs interim manager in 2021 after the sacking of Jose Mourinho, if he is appointed caretaker boss again at Tottenham.

“Yeah, of course, I would love that,” he added.

“With a young manager, I often think that they don’t use older figures, but I think there is room for older people to go in with them and work with a young manager, even if it was only for a couple of days a week just to be around.

“They can bounce ideas off you -- I think that’s important.

“It’s a difficult job and when you’re young it’s important to have someone experienced there with you. It’s a lonely job and you need all the help you can get.”