Search icon

Football

02nd Aug 2018

Jermain Defoe shares the most Harry Redknapp story ever about when he signed for Portsmouth

Jermaine Defoe opened up about his deadline day move from Tottenham to Portsmouth in 2008.

Wil Jones

Defoe opened up about his deadline day move from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008

Oh, Harry Redknapp. The game is less colourful for your absence. Sure you may sent Portsmouth hurtling to the fourth tier and left QPR with a £42 million FFP fine.

But we’ll always have you getting hit in the face by a stray training ground ball. You hanging out of the car window on deadline day. Denying that you are a wheeler dealer. You are clearly still gagging for one last job.

In 2008, Harry Redknapp signed Jermain Defoe for Portsmouth from Tottenham. It would only be short stay – Defoe would follow Redknapp back to North London just a year later.

In typical Harry fashion, his move to the South Coast was rushed through at the last minute. The now-Bournemouth striker spoke about the transfer at a press conference, and revealed the more Harry Redknapp-ever detail about the move.

He told journalist: “When I went to Portsmouth, …it was deadline day.Benjani went to Man City, I went to Portsmouth with Harry.

“I was at my mum’s house, and I had to rush to Portsmouth.

“Harry was like ‘Don’t worry about the medical… You’re fit, just sign’.”

“Because he knew me when I was a kid, so he just said ‘ Come on JD, you just gotta get down and score goals, you don’t need a medical. You’re young, you’re fit’.”

Oh dear, Harry.