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      Troy Deeney: I was offered mega money to play in Saudi Arabia… but they wouldn’t let me live with my partner and kids

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      JORDAN HENDERSON is taking some serious stick after the end of his brief stint in Saudi Arabia.But I would like to know how many critics would dismiss out of hand the chance to earn a net salary of £20million.
      Jordan Henderson has left Saudi Arabia just six months after arrivingCredit: Getty
      Troy Deeney is due to marry partner Alisha Hosannah this summer but would not have been able to live with her in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty
      I was offered an eye-watering sum last summer to play in the Saudi Pro League — and thought long and hard about it.
      At the age of 35, knowing my playing days were numbered, I received a pay offer which — although not on Hendo’s scale — would have been comfortably the most money I’d ever earned.
      It far exceeded anything I took home captaining Watford in the Premier League.
      It was sorely tempting but I had my own reasons for turning down the move.

      I am not married to my partner — we are due to tie the knot this summer — and under Saudi law, I wouldn’t have been allowed to live in the same house as her and our kids.
      There are no exceptions for professional footballers and, if you agree to go and work in a country, you have to respect their culture and laws.
      My missus and kids would have probably lived in Dubai, while I lived in Saudi.
      I would not have coped well mentally with being away from them for the vast majority of the time — being left to my own devices isn’t good for me.
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      Hendo is married, so wouldn’t have had that dilemma, and a friend and former team-mate in Steven Gerrard was managing his club, Al-Ettifaq.
      Knowing he was no longer fully wanted at Liverpool, it seems Hendo made a rash knee-jerk decision and has now realised even a vast amount of money doesn’t ­necessarily make you happy.
      Henderson might not now earn a penny from his brief time in Saudi after ripping up his contract to join Ajax on a free.
      Like every other player who was offered a deal by the Saudis, he will have been well aware of the tax implications.
      I am not married to my partner — we are due to tie the knot this summer — and under Saudi law, I wouldn’t have been allowed to live in the same house as her and our kids.Troy Deeney
      That if you did not stay for two years, you’d be absolutely clobbered by the taxman when returning home.
      Had I struggled with the lifestyle as Henderson has done, I would have had to stick it out.
      Apparently a few other players who left the Premier League for Saudi also want to leave — and anyone offered huge amounts to move next summer will think longer and harder about making a similar move.
      Some will still go — it takes a brave man to turn down that sort of money, especially when you are nearing the end of your career.
      He swapped Liverpool for Al-Ettifaq in the summerCredit: Reuters
      Don’t fall into the trap of believing every Premier League player is seriously minted and financially set up for life.
      Many have had serious gambling problems, or made bad financial investments or had expensive divorces.
      Players might also be tempted to play against Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar — I know I liked the sound of that challenge — and to help grow an emerging league.
      Until you go and live in another country, with a very different way of life, it’s impossible to know whether you can handle it.
      I don’t know which club in the Saudi top flight I would have been playing for.
      I was made an offer by Michael Emenalo — the former Chelsea executive who is now sporting director of the Saudi Pro League — and if I had agreed, I would then have been allocated a club.
      I know some of the crowds in Saudi are very low but that wasn’t a consideration for me.
      For Henderson, it might have been. He could not have got anything like the same buzz playing for Al-Ettifaq, where the average gate is 8,000, as in front of a full house at Anfield.
      Don’t fall into the trap of believing every Premier League player is seriously minted and financially set up for life.Troy Deeney
      He is now joining Ajax — a massive club suffering a difficult season — and knows that he still has plenty to give.
      It will also help his chances of playing for England at the Euros next summer.
      If I am honest, I didn’t seriously consider human-rights issues when I thought about moving to Saudi.
      But for Henderson, this must have been a real issue because he had been such an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ rights and was moving to a country where homosexuality is illegal.
      I agree with Hendo’s views but because I didn’t have that same background in campaigning, I wouldn’t have received nearly as much stick.
      Hendo knew he’d be nailed to a cross for making his move to Saudi and I’m sure he accepts some of the criticism.
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      I know him well from being a fellow Premier League captain — especially during the pandemic. He is a really good man.
      Just because he has made one bad decision in life doesn’t mean everything he said or did previously was a lie.
      Henderson joined Dutch side Ajax this weekCredit: EPA More

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      Dave Kidd: VAR does NOT need to be reformed, it should be SCRAPPED… and Calvert-Lewin red was the breaking point

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      DCL, VAR, WTF! Sometimes one single incident is so absurd that it has the capacity to bring down an entire house of cards.And when Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was handed a straight red card in Thursday’s FA Cup third-round clash with Crystal Palace, VAR might just have reached its breaking point.
      Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sent off by VAR for this challenge on ThursdayCredit: Getty
      Referee Chris Kavanagh was showed slow-motion footage when called over the the VAR screenCredit: AFP
      Calvert-Lewin executed an excellent tackle on Palace’s Nathaniel Clyne, top-flight referee Chris Kavanagh correctly judged that the challenge was not even a foul and yet, 30 seconds later, he was sent to his monitor and advised to dismiss the England forward.
      There was no ‘excessive force’ in the challenge, Calvert-Lewin was not ‘endangering an opponent’ and he actually won the ball with a neat piece of skill close to the Palace box.
      Yet not just one but TWO Premier League referees, in the VAR hub at Stockley Park, decided Kavanagh had made a ‘clear and obvious error’.
      Then the on-field ref — provoked by slow-motion replays — failed to trust his own judgment and refused to uphold his original decision.
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      To add to this farce, VAR is in operation for FA Cup matches played at Premier League stadiums and not for those hosted by EFL clubs.
      Yet for those games staged at top-flight clubs, such as Palace, ‘support VARs’ have also been appointed, meaning VAR Craig Pawson was assisted by Michael Salisbury.
      This undermines the often-stated lie by VAR cheerleaders that ‘it is not the technology but the personnel’ which is to blame for the system’s disastrous application.
      Because the fact is that the more human beings that are involved in any decision, the greater the capacity for human error.
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      VAR must now be scrapped, says Dave KiddCredit: Reuters

      Too many cooks spoil the broth. Too many referees spoil a football match. Now Palace v Everton was a stinker, which ended 0-0 despite Sean Dyche’s side being reduced to ten men.
      And presumably Calvert-Lewin’s three-match ban for a straight red will be rescinded on appeal.
      But while minimal harm was done, this was the clearest possible case of VAR not just failing to improve decision-making but making it actively worse.
      The Luis Diaz offside decision which sentenced Liverpool to their only Premier League defeat of the season at Tottenham in October was more damaging and more ridiculous.
      Too many cooks spoil the broth. Too many referees spoil a football match. Dave Kidd
      But that was a catastrophic one-off failure of process from VAR Darren England, which led to an incorrect on-field decision being upheld.
      The Calvert-Lewin incident was a glaring example of how slow-motion replays persuade highly experienced referees to disbelieve their own eyes.
      And of how the procedure of a VAR sending a referee to his monitor is a charade, given that 99 per cent of the time, this leads to an on-field official overturning his decision.
      Perhaps the Calvert-Lewin incident will lessen, or even end, the use of slo-mo replays.
      But what we really need is for pundits and prominent journalists to stop parroting the phrase ‘VAR will never be scrapped’.
      These are invariably people who never pay to attend matches and fail to fully comprehend how VAR interferes with the joyful spontaneity of football — a sport in which so many refereeing decisions are subjective, meaning the idea of absolute justice will always be impossible.
      Why can’t VAR be scrapped?
      And how is it helpful to keep saying ‘VAR will never be scrapped’, when most people want it scrapped and it absolutely could be scrapped.
      Arguing against technology does not automatically make you a member of the Flat Earth Society howling at the moon.Dave Kidd
      This is an extension of a dangerous ‘computer says no’ culture.
      Just watch ITV1’s brilliant drama Mr Bates v The Post Office to understand the extraordinary scale of human misery caused by a faulty computer system — and by the inability of apparently sensible people to believe that technology can possibly be wrong.
      Likewise, try to get some common sense out of Barclays Bank over their draconian mortgage policies.
      Organisations like the Post Office and Barclays destroy people’s lives by following a ‘computer says no’ mantra.
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      VAR only destroys football matches. But the principle is the same.
      Until we realise that arguing against technology does not automatically make you a member of the Flat Earth Society howling at the moon, then we will never reach the blindingly obvious conclusion that VAR does not need to be reformed, it must be scrapped. More

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      Karren Brady: It’s a case of Deja Roo as Wayne Rooney follows England pals Gerrard and Lampard onto managerial scrapheap

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      WITHOUT question the most important item on a football club agenda is the choice of manager, more fashionably a head coach.The team will stand or fall by this decision. Wayne Rooney at Birmingham was the latest to confirm that getting the chop could also be as brutally swift as the slide of the guillotine.
      Wayne Rooney was given the boot by Birmingham after a horror run of formCredit: Reuters
      He must have been aware that it might. After all, it had happened to two of his former England team-mates, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who found that being great footballers was no defence against managerial botch-ups.
      Rooney was the last of the turn-of-century Three Musketeers to slip off the manager’s saddle, after only two wins in 15 Championship games.
      Vastly popular at Everton and Manchester United, the rest of the country wasn’t far behind in delight at his ability to score stacks of goals combined with thrilling ball skills.
      Birmingham fans were just as admiring, at least until the new American owners accompanied his appointment by ruthlessly sacking the relatively successful John Eustace, a local boy, after he led them to sixth in the Championship.
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      There can be fewer jobs as stressful, unpredictable and unrelenting than being a football boss where only two things are guaranteed — the sack or a move to a bigger club.
      The man in charge must be trusted by players, staff and chairman. He has to be deeply knowledgeable in all things football. And most of all he must be a leader.
      The fact that he was a great footballer hardly matters.
      So where did our golden boys go wrong? My guess is that, above all, the players didn’t get it. Simply weren’t on the same wavelength.
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      Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is feeling the heat – managing out in SaudiCredit: Getty
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      I remember an England player telling me that in training their star man was challenged by the coach to hit the bar from 15 yards out.
      He tried twice and failed.
      The coach placed the ball in the same spot and struck the bar first time. “Easy as that,” he said, striding away.
      The victim was undermined. And the coach didn’t last too long.
      Is it fair to say that Rooney seemed the most unlikely of the three to make an outstanding manager? But you never know.
      Did mouthy Brian Clough strike many people as a possible double European Cup winner?
      I am told by football oracles that Rooney did a sound job at Derby and his trouble at St Andrew’s was introducing a fresh style too quickly.
      Birmingham City have enormous potential. The way forward is by meticulous planning and an ambitious boss of humbler origin is crucial, unless Pep Guardiola is up for a new challenge.
      Read more on The Sun
      Had they studied a list of previous appointments, they would have been aware of a similar farce at the club when Gary Rowett was axed for Gianfranco Zola in 2016.
      The Italian star lasted slightly longer than Rooney. Not so much ‘deja vu’ as ‘deja Blues’.
      Frank Lampard has not found managing as easy as he seemed to make playingCredit: Getty More

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      Harry Redknapp: Klopp and Guardiola would struggle to keep this Luton team up… Rob Edwards could be a miracle worker

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      THERE have been some classic Christmas hits over the years… and a few no one would have predicted.I’m reliably informed that Mr Blobby, Bob the Builder and Lily the Pink were all No 1s — and I don’t think too many saw them coming.
      Rob Edwards in Harry Redknapp’s Christmas No1 this season for his heroics with LutonCredit: Reuters

      Andros Townsend scored the winner as Luton got a huge win over NewcastleCredit: Getty
      Harry has picked out his Christmas chart toppersCredit: Rex
      So with the Big Day tomorrow, I thought I’d pick my chart toppers.
      Maybe not in terms of a place in the table but definitely so when it comes to the job they’re doing.
      Of course, if silverware and success were the only criteria, Pep Guardiola is streets ahead.
      Five trophies in one year for Manchester City. That will never — can never — be bettered.
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      And Friday’s disappointing draw with Sheffield United doesn’t mean Unai Emery has been anything but an absolute star at Aston Villa.
      I know that blew Villa’s chance to go top but don’t go overboard — they are still right in the mix. I’ll come back to him, though.
      Because the one who has really worked a water-into-wine miracle is Luton boss Rob Edwards. In so many ways.
      Look, I know it will probably end in relegation. Let’s face it, Pep, Jurgen Klopp or whoever you name would struggle to keep them up.
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      I always say the best teams have the best players and Luton haven’t got too many stars, didn’t spend any money and have a small squad.
      But that doesn’t mean Edwards is a poor manager. For me, it’s the total opposite. And he’s certainly put the hard yards in to get there, from a less than glamorous starting point.
      Forest Green to be exact, where he won the title and took them into League One for the first time ever — and got the Watford job.
      He never had a chance there — you’re in a long list, Rob — so fair play to Luton for giving him a crack. That’s what you call a punt paying off, as well.
      Tenth in the Championship when he was appointed, third by the end and a day they’ll never forget at Wembley in the play-off final.
      Rob won’t be in the running for the usual end-of-season awards but he edges mine for what he’s done so far.Harry Redknapp
      A one-season stay it may be but the memories keep on coming. And what a bond he has built.
      Getting the best out of what you’ve got is vital for any manager, even more so when there are no superstars. Well, you won’t find many at Luton but they can match anyone for spirit.
      Yesterday’s win over Newcastle, a draw with Liverpool and pushing City and Arsenal close proves that.
      As much as I’d love to see them survive, that would be the biggest miracle of all. And highly unlikely.
      But it still doesn’t take away from how good Edwards has been — and how impressively he handles himself, too, because there’s been a lot to cope with outside of football.
      Rob won’t be in the running for the usual end-of-season awards but he edges mine for what he’s done so far.
      Harry has been very impressed by Sean Dyche’s work at EvertonCredit: EPA
      Jude Bellingham has been tearing it up for Real MadridCredit: AP
      He’s not the only boss who’s stood out, though, and Emery has been magnificent at Villa. Disappointing against the Blades, for sure but everyone has the odd blip.
      I’m not the only one who didn’t think Villa would be above both Manchester clubs, Spurs, Chelsea and Newcastle — not by chance, either.
      I’m not saying they’re going to win the title — I fancied United in August, so you wouldn’t back my tips anyway — but Emery’s certainly making it a season to remember.
      It’s turned out that way for Everton, too, although not in the way they hoped because of that ten-point penalty.
      Look, I know it will probably end in relegation. But let’s face it, Pep, Jurgen Klopp or whoever you name would struggle to keep them up.Harry Redknapp
      But if there’s one man you’d want in charge when things are going against you, it’s Sean Dyche, who’s always got the best out of people and is doing so again at Goodison Park.
      Wolves manager Gary O’Neil needs a mention as well and Newcastle fans idolise Eddie Howe for a reason — they know they’ve got a diamond.
      I love the way he has given the kids a chance and wasn’t scared to play 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley in France against Paris Saint-Germain. That’s what it’s all about.
      Talking of players, by the way, there’s a good argument that the best two in Europe right now are both English. Just a shame that they’re playing abroad.
      Read more on The Sun
      Harry Kane, with 25 goals for Bayern Munich, and Jude Bellingham tearing it up every week for Real Madrid.
      It would be great if they were playing in the Premier League. Fingers crossed they’re both fit for the Euros next summer. More

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      Karren Brady: Gareth Southgate couldn’t wish for better Christmas gift than seeing Kane and Bellingham tearing up Europe

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      THERE isn’t a team in the world who wouldn’t tear open Santa’s sack if they thought Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham was the gift inside it.That they are now worth even more than the £200million-plus Bayern Munich and Real Madrid paid for them is of great credit to the quality of coaching in English football.
      Harry Kane has had a sensational start to his spell with Bayern MunichCredit: Reuters
      Jude Bellingham’s switch to Real Madrid has been just as incredibleCredit: AP
      It also underlines how standards here have soared since the introduction of the Premier League.
      Those are all pluses. The minus is both are scoring floods of goals on foreign fields, not ours. Yes, we’re more likely to see a sleigh in the sky than either in the Premier League this season.
      Kane left his much-loved Spurs primarily as he grew frustrated at a failure to win major trophies.
      But also because his club were adamant about the size of his transfer fee having practically shut the door on an English rival.
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      So off to Bayern it was and 21 goals in 15 games in the Bundesliga is the kind of return offered only by Erling Haaland of current strikers.
      It is no accident Bellingham’s behaviour on and off the field is similar to Kane’s — civilised and appreciative of fans.
      He joined Borussia Dortmund in 2017 as a 17-year-old, leaving last summer for a fee that could reach £115m with add-ons.
      He has offered a fountain of goals for Real and is on his way to earning the idol status enjoyed by Bernabeu titans Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Alfredo Di Stefano.
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      After 15 games he shared the club’s record of 13 goals with Portuguese great Ronaldo — who played as a forward. Bellingham isn’t.
      He is “the complete midfielder,” according to former Bayern and Germany captain Philipp Lahm.
      At 20, he already has 27 England caps and two goals. Expect those figures to change dramatically.
      And boss Gareth Southgate hopes that will be in time for next summer’s Euros.
      Bellingham has many similarities with Kane. Both are tall and exceptional in the air.
      Maybe the younger man has slightly better ball control, while Kane possesses all the hunger of a top striker.
      His partnership with Son Heung-min led to numerous Spurs goals for the speedy South Korean.
      He is an accurate and sometimes penetrative passer of the ball, willing to run forever and quick to take up devastating attacking positions.
      Kane and Bellingham should be England’s main hopes for Euro 2024 joyCredit: Getty
      For different reasons, these outstanding talents have left these shores.
      There must be a chance that at least Bellingham, already of Birmingham, Dortmund and now Real, will return at some stage.
      When exactly, no one can forecast although the lad from Stourbridge and his father Mark — a retired police sergeant and once a useful striker — might well have a plan for his entire career.
      One thing we do know is that Jude is already rich and will become a great deal richer, possibly even in the Ronaldo-Lionel Messi bracket.
      Logically, only two or three clubs here will be able to afford his transfer fee, never mind his wages, his agent’s costs and his accountants.
      Again, like Kane, Jude is straightforward and happy to chat to whoever asks questions.
      This was not true of many star players pre-Southgate, who encouraged his team to open up in public.
      Read more on The Sun
      As England’s greatest goalscorer, Kane has lots of awards but no trophies. He is also humble and a credit to his country.
      Accidents and injuries apart, I fancy his cups are not far away. Bellingham has time to win hatfuls. More

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      Troy Deeney: Tonight is my first game as a manager in the Football League… and I’m playing myself up front

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      FRIDAY night will be my first match as a manager in the Football League.Ask me what kind of boss I’ll be and the only answer I can honestly give at this early stage is “a bald one with bags under his eyes”.
      Troy Deeney has ‘mixed emotions’ after stepping up from player-coach to replace sacked friend Dave Horseman, left, as Forest Green managerCredit: Rex
      Deeney reckons he’ll be fine if he takes the best bits of the managers he played under – because there were so many of themCredit: Getty
      From my first few hours in charge of Forest Green Rovers, I know this is going to be a new level of busy.
      I’ve just had the physio, the analyst and the set-piece coach on the phone to me in the last hour.
      And I am still a player, too. Because we have two strikers out injured, I will be naming myself on the bench for Friday’s home game against Gillingham.
      Oh and, by the way, the fact that we’ve got a specialist set-piece coach in League Two shows our owner Dale Vince has a very decent level of investment and ambition.
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      We may be 91st out of 92 league clubs in English football at present but we have two games in hand to get us out of the relegation places and I am determined to make an immediate impact.
      When a player goes into management, he will often say he wants to take the best bits from all the bosses he played under.
      Well, the plus point for me is that I spent more than a decade at Watford so I have a lot of managers to choose from!
      I would like to have the organisational ability of Sean Dyche, the attacking mentality of Gianfranco Zola, the tactical nous of Marco Silva, the likeability of Quique Sanchez Flores and Javi Gracia’s ability to ‘manage up’ and deal with owners and directors.
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      Those are all men I worked under at Vicarage Road and if I can take all of their best attributes, I’ll be a success in this role.
      I’ve been doing my coaching badges and have a Uefa A licence.
      While those courses were beneficial in some ways, they are also idealistic.
      What you learn would be great if you had Manchester City’s players and Paris Saint-Germain’s budget.
      In League Two, you’re more likely to find a player turning up for training having slept on his mate’s sofa because he’s been up playing Fifa computer games until 2am.
      After a run of bad results, I want to remind my players that being a professional footballer is the best job in the world. I want them to rediscover that joy.
      They don’t throw that sort of thing at you when you’ve got your  L plates on.
      I’ve had mixed emotions since getting the job because, for the past few months, I’ve been a player-coach under the management of my friend Dave Horseman.
      Dave is an excellent coach, a wonderful bloke and a good mate.
      He’d had a long career coaching at youth level — at Watford among other clubs — before getting his first job in senior management at Forest Green this summer.
      Zola’s attacking instincts as Watford boss impressed DeeneyCredit: Alan Walter
      Marco Silva is rated by Deeney as a great tactical brainCredit: Reuters
      But football is ruthless and this situation is business. Dave was sacked on Wednesday and, one day, either at Forest Green or elsewhere, I’ll be the one getting sacked.
      Forest Green is a lovely, friendly family club in rural Gloucestershire.
      The one thing everyone knows about us is that it’s a vegan club — and while it might have been funny the first time an opposition fan asked me if I wanted a steak bake or thrust a sausage roll at me, it soon wears off.
      I’m not vegan but for Dale it is all about educating people about vegan lifestyles and wider environmental issues. I have huge respect for that.
      But when Gillingham visit, our ground won’t be a bear pit.
      It won’t be like turning up at Millwall or West Ham’s old Upton Park.
      We need to find a bit more nastiness. Without wanting to turn us into 80s Wimbledon, I want us to become horrible to play against.
      I’m going to keep playing until January, when Dale hopes to invest more in the squad and then I hope to gradually fade into the background as a player, rather than retiring altogether.
      In League Two, you’re more likely to find a player turning up for training having slept on his mate’s sofa because he’s been up playing Fifa computer games until 2am.Troy Deeney
      Everyone has told me it will  be extremely tough to be a player-manager but, for the time being, it’s ‘needs must’.
      Some people have asked why I wanted to take over a club next to bottom in League Two for my first job in management — but I have never been one to turn down a challenge.
      I remember Paul Ince and Sol Campbell taking over at Macclesfield in similar circumstances and leading them to safety.
      It’s also true that there aren’t enough black and ethnic minority managers in English football.
      We’re still under-represented and we are less likely to get opportunities — even though I’m not sure how many black guys are applying for jobs at League Two level.
      But I’ll be giving my first team talk as a manager before kick-off on Friday evening and I hope I won’t be giving too many of them too often.
      I want our dressing room to become more self-sustaining, where players will give their own speeches before matches.
      Read more on The Sun
      But after a run of bad results, I just want to remind my players that being a professional footballer is the best job in the world. I want them to rediscover that joy.
      And I want to be in that dugout with a big toothy grin just like ­Jurgen Klopp’s.
      After managing Deeney at Vicarage Road, Sean Dyche has gone on to boss Burnley for 10 years and Everton since January 2023Credit: Rex More

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      Terry Venables is the man who put a smile on the face of the nation… I’ll never stop singing his praises

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      IF they did a league table of football’s larger-than-life  personalities, Terry Venables would be the odds-on favourite for the title.I have come across plenty of characters in my career — but Terry was head and shoulders above all of them.
      Terry Venables passed away aged 80 last weekCredit: Getty
      El Tel was an all-round entertainerCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
      And he even roped Harry Redknapp into singing in The Sun’s choir before the 2010 World CupCredit: Jon Bond -The Sun
      And there’s no doubt the world won’t be quite as bright after his passing last week.
      As a real Dagenham boy, our paths crossed a lot over the years, going back to when we were  still kids looking for our big break in the 1960s.
      Chelsea had a magnificent youth team at the time, so it was no surprise that he went there when  so many clubs wanted him.
      We met plenty of times on the pitch, but just as much off it.
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      And if it involved Terry, there was one thing you could guarantee — there would be lots of fun and laughter.
      Although back in the day I’d never have guessed that it would end up with me joining a choir and singing to the whole country.
      Among his many talents, Terry was always a decent singer and loved nothing better than  belting out a few numbers at his club.
      What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For was a favourite of his, and it always went down well. Bobby Moore loved him.
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      Venables enjoyed an illustrious managerial careerCredit: PA: Press Association
      So before the 2010 World Cup, The Sun’s television advert centred on Terry performing the old Elvis classic If I Can Dream.
      Obviously he was centre stage, but he was backed by a full choir… which included two extra members just for the ad, in me and Ian Wright.
      Great fun, but we didn’t get asked back! It always made me chuckle that when England went out to Hong Kong before Euro 96, he delegated Bryan Robson to look after them.
      Robbo might have been a coach by then, but he was captain of  the drinking team.
      That was when everyone kicked off about the dentist’s chair incident.
      And if it involved Terry, there was one thing you could guarantee — there would be lots of fun and laughter. Although back in the day I’d never have guessed that it would end up with me joining a choir and singing to the whole country.Harry Redknapp
      But Terry knew how to handle it, like he knew how to  handle most things, and England had a great tournament.
      People look at his personality — which was probably too big for the FA to cope with — and miss the real point… which is that he had a brilliant football brain.
      Players loved playing for him, he knew exactly how to get the best out of them.
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      Gazza, Alan Shearer, Teddy  Sheringham, Gary Neville… you just won’t find anyone with a bad word to say.
      Anyone who looks back to the summer of ’96 and It’s Coming Home does so with a smile… well, Terry Venables is the man who put it on the face of the nation.
      The beloved manager guided England to the semi-finals of Euro 96Credit: Getty More

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      Harry Redknapp: Even Pep Guardiola is going back to the old ways – expect to see more of his ‘back to the future’ tactic

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      I’VE always said football is a simple game — now it seems even Pep Guardiola agrees that you can’t beat winging it.But don’t think I’m having a pop at a bloke who’s rightfully got a reputation as one of modern football’s trailblazers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
      Pep Guardiola does something and often the rest followCredit: Getty
      I’m not suggesting all the success he’s had at Manchester City is down to playing it off the cuff. It’s the result of hard graft, preparation and obviously having the best players.
      If you’re talking trends, it’s usually a case of what Pep does today, the rest do tomorrow, from goalkeepers who must be as good with their feet as their hands, to playing out from the back.
      But sometimes the best ways can be the old ways — and that’s what I mean by Pep winging it at City this season.
      Or, to put it another way, the way he has turned back time with Jeremy Doku, the man who, for me, is the most exciting player in the Premier League.
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      Back in the day every club in the league would play with at least one winger — most had them on both sides.
      Blokes whose first thought and main objective was to be positive, to run at their full-back, to take him on and whip in a cross.
      Division One, as it was back then, was full of them. Mike Summerbee, Steve Heighway, Eddie Gray, Dave Thomas, Stevie Coppell — the list was endless. And that’s only from the 1970s and ’80s.
      Sir Alex Ferguson turned Manchester United into the best team in the country with Ryan Giggs or Lee Sharpe on one side, Andrei Kanchelskis on the other.
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      When I was at Tottenham I had two of the best, with Gareth Bale flying down the left and Aaron Lennon on the right.
      All of them players who excited fans and put the fear of God in full-backs. And who would get the crowd buzzing every time they got the ball.
      Lots of managers would no doubt argue they play with wingers now as well. But not in the old sense. Not in the way I view them.
      These days, the ball goes wide and the first thought is not to try to beat the defender and get to the byline or fire in a shot.
      Most of the time it’s about finding a square ball or — and this frustrates me even more — passing it back the way it’s just come.
      Wolves had one in Adama Traore, who was an absolute flyer and would tear at people, although in his case there was rarely an end product.
      But in Doku, City have an  old-school winger who is absolute dynamite. A man whose first thought isn’t to play it safe but to turn and take on the full-back, to attack and create.
      If I had to choose one man who’s lit up the Premier League this season, it’s Doku. At a time when there is such a stink over VAR, he has been a breath of fresh air.
      But sometimes the best ways can be the old ways — and that’s what I mean by Pep winging it at City this season.Harry Redknapp
      Not so much a guy who puts bums on seats, as gets backsides out of them — because he makes things happen.
      There aren’t many games now when the full-back gets put under any serious, sustained pressure.
      Players are more intent on a safe pass and keeping possession than running at their opponent and trying to be positive.
      But in Doku, Pep has a player who thinks the opposite. Someone who is killing defenders, in a football sense, every time he gets the ball.
      I feel sorry for Pedro Porro, who will be the one in his firing line today when Tottenham are at the Etihad.
      Porro’s done alright in his first season in England but he will have his hands full this afternoon.
      To be honest, it looks a pretty thankless task all round for Spurs.
      They have a better record than most against City and I’m sure Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will send them out to have a go. Rightly so, too, because if you sit back, there’s only one winner.
      It’s tough enough at the best of times and now not only is Harry Kane gone, but they also hardly have any fit first-choice defenders.
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      Ange is doing a great job and the recent blip is more down to injuries and suspensions.
      But I can’t see them getting anything at City — especially with Doku in this form.
      Jeremy Doku has lit up the Premier League with his pace and trickery More