Harry Redknapp turned down chance to sign Arsenal legend and took ‘useless’ mate instead
Harry Redknapp is well-known for his ability to spot talent, but when he first started out in management, he missed a real gem of a player.
If Harry rates you then the chances are you'd be following him to various club - looking at you, Niko Krancjar.
At the age of 76, he has decided his time in the dugout is over after a career spanning Tottenham, Portsmouth, Southampton, West Ham and more.
But it all started in 1983 when he became manager of Bournemouth and, after three years of management, he snapped up a young Carl Richards from Enfield Town.
However, while Richards would toil at Bournemouth, his mate proved to go on and have a fantastic career - Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
Writing in his book 'Always Managing', Redknapp held nothing back when speaking about the duo.
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He wrote: "I bought Carl for £10,000, went to pick him up from Enfield and while he went in to say goodbye to his manager, he left me with his mate.
“‘What are you signing him for?’ said this kid. ‘I’m 10 times better than him. I’ve got 26 goals this season, he’s only got 12. I’m different class than him. Why don’t you sign me?'
“I was worried. ‘I can’t buy you, I’m buying him,’ I told Carl’s mate, ‘but I’ll keep an eye out for you, don’t worry.
“So we took Carl and he was absolutely useless. He could run, but that was about it. We played about six games, couldn’t win one. Carl was terrible.
“After about four games of this, he came to see me. ‘I’ve got a mate,’ he said. ‘He was asking if he could have a trial. He’s a striker, like me.’
“‘And is he as good as you, Carl?’ I asked, suspiciously. ‘No, he’s not as good as me,’ he said, ‘but he’s decent.’
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“‘Well, tell him not to f***ing bother then,’ I snapped, and that was the end of it.
“The following Saturday, we went to play Crystal Palace. ‘My mate, the one who wanted a trial, he’s playing for Palace today,’ said Carl. ‘Oh good,’ I thought. ‘No problem there then.'
“Anyway, three goals later I realised Carl wasn’t much of a scout, either. His mate’s name? Ian Wright, who went on to score 238 league goals.”
Wright, who had joined Palace from Greenwich Borough in 1985, had an incredible career first with Crystal Palace then as a Premier League striker with Arsenal and West Ham.
And it wasn't just Arsenal who were interested in signing Wright. Former Chelsea player Andy Townsend was asked by his manager to see if Palace star Wright would consider moving to Stamford Bridge in 1990.
He explained to talkSPORT Drive: "It is very natural for clubs when a particular team have a player that they fancy and you know, they ask you do a bit of the dirty work.
"They ask you to find out about certain players. I'll never forget the one that got away, if you like.
"I remember Bobby Campbell - God rest him - telling me, 'I am desperate to get Ian Wright'. I remember talking to Wrighty as we walked off once at Selhurst Park saying, 'Would you come to Chelsea?' and Wrighty said, 'Yeah, I would!'
"Whether or not he would have, there would have been loads of people talking to Wrighty at the time, I am sure. But that sort of thing goes on."
Townsend, though, acknowledged his pal made the right move in the end. When he finished his career he scored 185 goals, putting him second behind Thierry Henry on the all-time list.
He won the Premier League and FA Cup double under Arsene Wenger in 1998 as well as another FA Cup in 1993 along with the League Cup, plus the Cup Winners Cup in 1994.
As for Redknapp, he left Bournemouth in 1992 and became manager of West Ham in 1994 and attempted to sign future Ballon d'Or winner Andriy Shevchenko shortly after that.
"We fixed up a game with Barnet reserves. Shevchenko got two goals and we liked him but he was about £1million.
"I remember talking to Frank after and saying, 'That is too much money'. He was only about 17 or 18."
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