Redknapp receives England backing from FA official

Football Association board member Phil Gartside has backed Harry Redknapp to be England’s next manager.

It is the first time somebody from the FA has spoken about the Tottenham manager’s credentials, with Gartside telling the BBC Redknapp is a “good motivator with a winning mentality”.

“I think Harry Redknapp would make a good England coach,” said Gartside.

“He’s had success at every club he has been at and he sets teams up to win.”

Tottenham, who are fifth in the Premier League this season, are keen to keep their manager, with the FA previously stating they will wait until the “tail end” of the season before making approaches to anyone.

However, with just 49 days to go until the start of Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, the pressure is growing on the FA to install a replacement for Fabio Capello.

Stuart Pearce is currently caretaker of the senior side, who are also without a captain, suspended striker Wayne Rooney for two matches and injured midfielder Jack Wilshere heading into the tournament.

Since Capello resigned after the FA stripped John Terry of the England captaincy, former West Ham, Southampton and Portsmouth boss Redknapp, has been the favourite to take the job, with former England captain Alan Shearer saying the FA should “move heaven and earth” to get their man.

“Harry is an outstanding English manager,” Bolton Wanderers chairman Gartside added.

“The one quality which I believe the England manager should have is a winning mentality.

“For too long, we have not had a team which is capable of winning a tournament. The most important job for any England manager is to win a tournament for us.”