Source: Daily_Mail
Jamie Redknapp: Relegation hurt me much more than any of my terrible injuries
ShareI wasn't always on the Sky couch and writing for Sportsmail. I used to have a day job. Most of my memories from those times reflect the thrill of being a professional footballer. England caps, captaining Liverpool, playing with magnificent footballers like John Barnes, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard. [LNB]I had a few terrible injuries; they were crushing, debilitating interruptions, but the worst day of my career was the day I suffered relegation.[LNB] Pain: Southampton's relegation in 2005 hit the Redknapp family, with dad Harry and son Jamie both involved[LNB]I had been at Southampton for four months, having gone to try and help my dad avoid the drop. I enjoyed playing for him for the first time since I was a teenager at Bournemouth. It was a good club. Good people. Good fans. [LNB]The problem was we just could not string results together to get us away from the bottom. Leading Aston Villa 2-0, we lost 3-2. We were 2-1 up against Everton with 10 seconds left, but drew. It was a season of missed opportunities. When we won, the teams around us won, too. Even though Peter Crouch was in the form of his life, we were sinking and we just didn't seem able to find a life jacket.[LNB]And so we arrived at the last day - it was called Survival Sunday back in 2005 as well - needing to beat Manchester United. We knew, because of the location of the clubs and the past history between my dad and Portsmouth, they wouldn't bust a gut for us at West Bromwich Albion. They lost 2-0.[LNB] Tough to take: Southampton are only just starting to see signs of recovery [LNB]We led 1-0 against United, but lost against a team including Wayne Rooney and match-winner Ruud van Nistelrooy. We were down: in my last game as a professional footballer, I couldn't help the team managed by my dad to stay up.[LNB]The truth is, I shouldn't have played. When I ran, it was as if a knife was being plunged into my knee. I should have told my dad: 'Don't pick me, give someone else a game.' But I thought the adrenaline would get me through the match and that I could make a difference.[LNB]That's the hardest thing about being involved in a relegation battle: players wanting the ball. It's easy to hide, to think someone else will save the day. Everyone wants the ball when the team are winning, but when you are on a downward spiral, team-mates go missing, they shrink. The pressure gets to them.[LNB] Seize the advantage: Players like Charlie Adam mustn't hide on Survival Sunday[LNB]The best advice I can give to the players involved this Sunday is to 'play your game'. You can't enjoy it, you won't enjoy it. It will be exhausting physically and emotionally. I'll be at Old Trafford on Sunday to watch Blackpool face the champions. United sent my team, Southampton, down. I hope the same fate does not befall Ian Holloway's side.[LNB]They have a player in Charlie Adam who will still go looking for the ball. They need quality and character and he has both. He has to tell himself: 'Go and get the ball. I am the best midfielder on the pitch. I can run the game.'[LNB] Pure delight: The feeling of survival on the final day, though, can be euphoric[LNB]Whatever happens, Holloway can be proud of his team. They have added attacking excitement and flair to the Barclays Premier League this season.[LNB]My experience of being at the bottom was a horrible one. After that game, I went to a little gym next to the dressing room, sat on my own and thought: 'That's it, my career is over and I don't know how I can recover from this.'[LNB]You think of the people in the offices and the tea lady, people who will lose their jobs as a consequence of relegation. You feel their pain and take the blame. Avoid at all costs. [LNB] Birmingham boozers anger McLeish as manager slams Foster and DoyleTop 10 biggest Premier League transfer flops of the 2010-11 seasonDamn, a Hammer ding-dong! How West Ham's party descended into chaos[LNB] Explore more:People: Ian Holloway, Michael Owen, Peter Crouch, Wayne Rooney, John Barnes, Steven Gerrard Places: Liverpool, United Kingdom
