Source: SKY_Sports
Redknapp plays down King row
Harry Redknapp has insisted he would never stop any player from linking up with England and has given his full support to Fabio Capello. Ledley King was at the centre of an apparent club versus country row ahead of England's matches against Slovakia and Ukraine when he was called up despite having a longstanding knee problem which prevents him from taking part in regular training.Redknapp was quoted as saying that King's selection was 'mad' and 'pointless' as there was no way he would be able to play twice in a week.The Tottenham manager later stressed that he would love to see King at next summer's World Cup and he cannot understand why it has been suggested that he was not fully behind Capello.Redknapp maintains that it was the club's doctors who dealt with the matter and that there was no contact between himself and the England boss."I don't know how it came about because I never stopped Ledley going and I never said anything at all about the manager picking him," Redknapp said on Sky Sports News."I don't know how I got dragged into it. The medical people here spoke to the medical people with England but I never spoke to Fabio Capello, not once."RespectRedknapp is passionate about seeing England do well and he believes Capello is an excellent manager.He admits he would be disappointed if anyone thought he did not back the national team, and has pointed to the fact that other Spurs players were picked by Capello "It was a load of stuff blown up about nothing. Nobody has got more respect for Fabio Capello than me, I think he is a fantastic manager and he has proved he can take England forward."There is no way I would disrespect him or England, and I would never stop a player going."Aaron Lennon went, Darren Bent got called up and went, although he had a problem with his knee when he trained."I have never stopped anybody from playing for England. I think there were five or six lads the other day who had played for me."There were three lads from Portsmouth and I never stopped any of them playing. I would never do that."