Redknapp contender for England job: FA chief

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is one of the leading contenders to be the next England manager, according to Football Association general secretary Alex Horne.

Horne expects Redknapp’s name to be high on the agenda when Fabio Capello’s successor is debated by English football chiefs.

Redknapp has led Tottenham into the Champions League this season and the north London club have impressed among Europe’s elite, defeating holders Inter Milan en route to reaching the last 16 with a game to spare.

Horne said: “Harry Redknapp is a great manager. Tottenham are playing great football and to qualify well for the Champions League (knockout stage) from a position of being fourth favourites in the group is huge testimony to that.

“I would expect Harry to make a long list (for the England job). It may not be a very long long list.”

Horne, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme, also insisted no process had yet been discussed for appointing the successor to Capello, with the Italian set to leave after Euro 2012.

There is a strong belief in certain quarters that the FA should appoint an English manager after Capello’s so-far unsuccessful reign, but Horne won’t rule out another overseas boss.

“He’s there till 2012 which gives me 18, 19 months to prepare for that process,” Horne said.

“It is not a policy decision that they (the contenders) would be English. It is an absolute preference for certain individuals. It is not yet a board decision.

“We thought about this long and hard when we got Fabio Capello. We got the right man for the job and that is what we will do again.

“It is not a policy decision that they will definitely be English.

“I will be finalising the selection process criteria during the first few months of next year for internal discussion.”