Player Profile

The ultimate professional on the field as well as outside. Redknapp trained as a youngster with Tottenham, but it was at his dad Harry's club, Bournemouth, where he started his professional career. Before he even had started a single game, Kenny Dalglish had already paid a visit. Harry let Jamie go for two weeks to have a look at Liverpool, but he decided he was better off at least for one more year at Bournemouth. After only 13 first-team matches for Bournemouth Redknapp became the most expensive 17-year-old in football when Liverpool paid £350,000, with the fee later rising to £500,000. Unfortunately, Jamie never played under Kenny, even though he was on the bench against Wimbledon four days after his arrival. Only five weeks after Redknapp had arrived at Liverpool, Kenny resigned. 

Souness had great faith in Redknapp's ability and he became the youngest player to appear for the club in European competition when he played his first-ever game against Auxerre on 23 October 1991. He was wearing his idol's shirt, Kenny's number 7. Phil Charnock broke his European record a year later. Souness liked what he was seeing from Redknapp. "This young man comes from a footballing background. His father was a very good first division player and he knows what's expected of him. He has a very big future in front of him." Redknapp got an extended run in February 1992 and could be pleased with the start to his Liverpool career. Redknapp played 136 games the next three seasons as Souness' reign descended into chaos with Roy Evans taking over. Redknapp was captain of the u-21 national team that won the Toulon tournament in France in the summer of 1994 and was undoubtedly Liverpool's best player in 1994/95, Evans' full debut season. Redknapp made his full England debut against Colombia on 6 September 1995 when his shot inspired Rene Higuita's legendary scorpion-kick save. At that point Redknapp was in inspired form for Liverpool, scoring with two long-distance shots in two games in a row against Spartak Vladikavkaz and Blackburn. He was then chosen for England to face Switzerland on 15 November. Seven minutes into the game, he picked up a hamstring injury. Four months later he was back in the starting line-up, but more disappointment awaited. Liverpool lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup final and in Euro 1996, Redknapp got injured again playing the Scots.

Liverpool coped well without Redknapp in the first half of the 1996/97 season and he was in and out of the team. His injury jinx struck, now in a friendly international game against South Africa on 24 May 1997 and he was out for five months. Redknapp slowly regained his old form and was looking forward to the 1998 World Cup. He got injured against Coventry only two months prior to the competition and that meant the end of the season and the World Cup. In 1998/99 Gérard Houllier came in, initially at Roy Evans' side, and Redknapp's career was soon flying high again. He was in his best form for three years and played 39 matches and scored ten goals. In the summer of 1999, Houllier made Redknapp captain. On 20 November 1999 Redknapp got injured against Sunderland and spent the next four months on the sidelines. Three substitute appearances in succession on his return reached a crescendo when he scored the winning goal against Newcastle. It was a moment of rare release from Redknapp: "I remember recovering from a long injury lay-off and sitting stewing on the bench for Liverpool, not getting as much match action as I thought I deserved. We were playing Newcastle and when I was finally sent on, I rose above Duncan Ferguson to score a rare header and win the game. I ran as fast as I could towards the manager, my own manager, Gérard Houllier. I screamed every expletive imaginable in his direction. It was an explosion of emotion." Two days later he played with the reserves against Sheffield Wednesday and guess what, he got injured once more, this time out for a month. That begged the question: Why not rest him when Liverpool play teams beginning with the letter S? Redknapp had picked up injuries against Switzerland, Scotland, South Africa, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday. The S-curse had struck again. 

Redknapp didn't play a single match in 2000/01 due to series of injuries over the years that had taken their toll but lifted the FA Cup on behalf of the Liverpool team despite his initial apprehension as he explained on Sky's "A League of Their Own:" Before the game, I wasn‘t going to do it. I had missed out all year and Robbie Fowler said: 'You are the club captain and we want you to do it if we win it.' I went: 'Don‘t be stupid, no chance. It‘s not my time.' Sami Hyypia was going to be captain on the day. Robbie came on the pitch after we had won the game 2-1. Robbie said: 'Come on, you can do this!' I said: 'No, no. Honestly, I don't want to do it.' Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Gérard Houllier going to Sami Hyypia: 'You go. 'You are the captain.' 'You go up there.' I thought: 'Oh, really?' 'I think I will do this!' That‘s a true story. I thought, 'Houllier, you w*****!' 'Have some of that!'" Redknapp, in turn, refused a testimonial at Liverpool, because he didn't feel he had played enough the last seasons to deserve it. Redknapp was truly one of Liverpool's greatest servants. 

When Redknapp returned in 2001/02, he lasted only eight games before he was injured again. Redknapp joined his old schoolboys team Tottenham in April 2002 having made his last appearance for the first team at the end of October 2001. Redknapp took over the captaincy at Tottenham playing half a century of games in two and a half years. He went on a free to Southampton in January 2005 but only stayed there for five months under the guidance of his father. Jamie was forced to retire at 32 in the summer of 2005. Redknapp is now working as a Sky Sports pundit.