Redknapp dismisses Rafa claims

14 October 2011 23:05

Harry Redknapp insists he has no problem with Rafael van der Vaart after the Tottenham forward branded claims he had criticised his manager as "rubbish".

The former Real Madrid forward was quoted in the Dutch press last week saying he had been left "irritated" by being positioned out wide, but Redknapp revealed that the 28-year-old had approached him to say the comments had been misunderstood.

"Rafa came to see me and said to me he didn't know where all that rubbish came from," Redknapp said. "Rafa is a great lad. I've not got a problem with him. He is a bright, well-mannered, fantastic footballer."

He added: "He played there (on the wing) last year for us, probably seven or eight games and we had some great results. Some of our best results came that way."

Van der Vaart may get a chance to play up front in Sunday afternoon's trip to Newcastle as Emmanuel Adebayor is a major doubt due to a hamstring injury.

Redknapp takes his team to the north east on the back of a four-match winning streak that has included the prize scalps of Liverpool and Arsenal.

The team's form is a far cry from the two hammerings they endured at the start of a season and the bad atmosphere within the squad due to the transfer saga involving Luka Modric.

Redknapp praised Modric for the way he handled the club's refusal to allow him to join Chelsea, but admitted that he could have been forced to sell the Croatian if he decided to become a disruptive influence within the dressing room.

Redknapp said: "If he had been a nasty person and been disruptive he may well have got his move. In the end I might have said to the chairman, 'This can't go on, we don't need it'."

Source: PA