Harry Redknapp has hailed Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and believes the only way he will leave the club is if the FA can persuade him to replace Thomas Tuchel as England boss
Harry Redknapp has claimed the England job is the only vacancy that could tempt Newcastle boss Eddie Howe to leave St James’ Park. Howe has done an excellent job since taking over from Steve Bruce in 2021, with Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League in 2023.
They also won their first major domestic trophy in 70 years this season when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final, with Howe becoming the first English manager to win a major men’s trophy since Redknapp lifted the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008.
Howe had been linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate stood down following the Euro 2024 final, but the FA ultimately decided to go with former Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel.
However, Tuchel has been brought in on a short 18-month contract and tasked with winning the 2026 World Cup which means that England could be searching for a replacement immediately following that tournament.
And Redknapp believes that Howe would be the perfect manager to take over from Tuchel when the time comes.
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“Eddie, who was in hospital yesterday after feeling ill during the week, will miss their clash against Manchester United today and I wish him a speedy recovery,” Redknapp said in his latest column for the Sun.
“And so will all the Toon fans — which certainly shows up all those who reckoned Eddie was only keeping the seat warm for a glamorous foreign name after the Saudis appointed him. Whether that was the plan when they arrived I don’t know but — four years on — the only way I can see Howe leaving St James’ Park is for the England job.
“The search for Thomas Tuchel’s replacement, when that day comes, won’t take long, although I am not saying Newcastle fans should start worrying yet. That’s for the future.
“For now, all that matters is making sure this is the real thing, not just another false start. After the Saudis took over there was a lot of talk the richest club in the world would take off, and when they made the Champions League two years ago, it certainly looked that way.
“But despite that famous win over Paris Saint-Germain, they never really got off the launch pad and when they went from finishing fourth in the Prem to seventh, quite a few feared the worst for Eddie. Thankfully the people who matter never doubted he was the right man and now you won’t find anyone who disagrees.”
Despite links with England, Howe remains fully focused on his work with Newcastle and insisted last year that he had not been contacted by the FA before they opted to appoint Tuchel. “I was not [interviewed]. There was no contact from the FA,” Howe said.
“England have to do what is right for them and only they will know the processes they have gone through and the decisions they have made. I am certainly not the type of person that is going to analyse that.
“For me, it’s about Newcastle and trying to win games and it’s hard enough to do that if you are 100% focused, and I will always remain that way to my work. If you drop your levels, then the job becomes impossible and at no stage have I allowed myself to do that.”
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