English FA chief says Redknapp ‘amazing’

LONDON (AP) ― The head of the English Football Association has hailed Harry Redknapp’s “amazing” work at Tottenham while saying the vacant national team job is best suited to an older coach.

Following Fabio Capello’s sudden resignation on Wednesday, the 64-year-old Redknapp is the main contender to lead England at the European Championship in four months.

Amid an outpouring of support from England players for Redknapp, though, the FA has avoided anointing him publicly before making an approach to Tottenham.

But, for the first time since Capello walked out of England, FA chairman David Bernstein has spoken publicly of his admiration for Redknapp and said “it would be nice to reflect the national mood.”

Redknapp seems to meet Bernstein’s preference for an Englishman who can produce exciting football, having steered Tottenham to third in the Premier League having been bottom when he took charge in 2008.

“We do understand the hype ― the guy has done amazingly recently,” Bernstein said at Wembley Stadium. “He is a fine manager and he is English ... despite all this hype we need to come to a measured, professional decision.”

No English manager has been as successful as Redknapp recently, with Newcastle ― managed by fellow Londoner Alan Pardew ― crushed 5-0 on Saturday by Tottenham, which is five points off the league summit.

Redknapp, though, has endured troubling times away from the dugout recently, undergoing heart surgery in November and going through a two-week criminal trial before being cleared of tax fraud on Wednesday.