HARRY REDKNAPP once told a reporter “F*** off” after he was called a “Wheeler-dealer” in a television interview; however, it is fair to say that the former West Ham and Tottenham manager had a nose for a smart deal.
Despite signing Paolo Di Canio for West Ham, Robbie Keane for Tottenham and Niko Kranjcar for 3 of the clubs he managed, all his signings worked very well.
Redknapp, 75, revealed his worst moves in his appearance on the hit screen I’m a Celebrity in 2018.
While there are a few names that come to mind, such as Paulo Futre, Bongani Khumalo and Titi Camara, those are two other West Ham signings that Redknapp has considered the worst.
Redknapp coached the Hammers from 1994 to 2001 and signed about 50 players during his time at East London.
Marco Boogers signed through Redknapp for £800,000 from Sparta Rotterdam in 1995 after the manager showed a video of him hunting “of another kind”.
The Dutchman has only played 4 times for West Ham and has no matches.
He was sent off early in his Hammers career after a horrific challenge to Gary Neville at Old Trafford before disappearing shortly after.
Boogers could not locate the net in burgundy and blue and in Redknapp’s comments, this is not surprising.
Redknapp said, “From the start, the Boogers suck.
“He, among the stragglers in the back, every time we went to run, he didn’t need to work, he was lazy and all the players hated him without delay.
“I guess you can say he can play a little bit, but in fact it’s not as impressive as the video had led him to believe.
“He declared ‘psychologically unworthy for football’, which only meant that he had persuaded a doctor to find an excuse for him not to return, and disappeared somewhere in his house. “
He added: “Despite everything, we discovered him hiding in a caravan in Holland and only picked him up when we read him the act of insurrection.
“But his attitude didn’t improve when he came back and we were given the opportunity in Groningen in the Dutch league. “
The other guy Redknapp wanted had never signed Roguyia striker Florin Raducioiu, whom Redknapp bought from Espanyol for £1. 5 million in August 1996.
He was inspired by his performances with Romania at Euro 96, where he scored his country’s goal in the tournament.
Although he was impressed at first, it temporarily became clear to Redknapp that the Romanian was not going to cut him.
He said: “I worked a few hours with Raducioiu on the first day of education and I have to admit that he inspired me. He was a quality finisher and I think he would succeed. “
“But the moment we indulged in something physical, he didn’t need to know.
“He just couldn’t stand up to a take in any way. Dicksy was eager to get attached to him to see what he was made of, but Raducioiu made it clear he wouldn’t be challenging at all. “
He added: “In his first two friendlies, Raducioiu only complained about the brutal remedy he was receiving from rival media.
“Don’t ask me how a former world-class player can suddenly become a fairy, yet something obvious had happened to Raducioiu and he had completely lost it.
“He used to stand in line for 3 hours in Bucharest to buy a loaf of bread and suddenly dressed in a £28,000 watch. Maybe the transition was too much for him. “
The Romanian has played 11 times for West Ham and controlled to score two goals, but Redknapp was not the one he had a hard time convincing.
Paulo Futre, another Redknapp failure, allegedly called her a “big girl,” a confrontation in the educational arena.
Redknapp’s patience ran out when Raducuioiu failed to show up for the League Cup draw at Stockport, which the Hammers then lost.
He said: “You can believe my temper the next day when a friend called me and told me the night before that he had seen Raducioiu shopping for groceries with his wife at the Harvey Nichols store in London.
“Then I knew I had to get rid of him, it wasn’t easy. “
Raducioiu left Upton Park in January 1997 to return to Espanyol.
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