The Midfield Mastery And Injuries Of Jamie Redknapp | OneFootball

The midfield mastery and injuries of Jamie Redknapp

Saturday 12th May 2001 – FA Cup Final day. It was a typical type of Cup Final day – razor-sharp green grass and buttery sunshine (which on this day mirrored the kit of Liverpool). Michael Owen scored twice and Liverpool somehow dug out a victory to complete a domestic cup double. Sami Hyypia, who was captain because the vice-captain, Robbie Fowler, had started on the bench, was front and centre to receive the cup, but both players ushered the real captain forward to help lift the cup – a man who had not played all season because of injury – but were held in high enough esteem to be given the honour. Jamie Redknapp, adorned in a white shirt and striped tie, instead of the gold kit his teammates wore and no doubt he wished he wore too, obliged, sharing a snippet of what turned out to be a historic season. As far as his career with Liverpool went, it wouldn’t get any better.

Ten years previously, the seventeen-year-old, dew-fresh Jamie Redknapp arrived at Liverpool from Bournemouth for the princely sum of £350,000. It was the dying embers of Kenny Dalglish’s first reign as manager at the club, although the tag of being the last signing of the era would go to David Speedie, who signed two weeks later.

The departure of Dalglish caused more than ripples through the club – it was a seismic fracture that was painfully absorbed by everyone connected with the club. The preceding years had been highly successful on the field, but the squad profile was ageing and change was needed. Redknapp didn’t play at all that season but made his debut the following season in a second-round UEFA Cup tie against Auxerre. It was a tough period to be involved in. Although Liverpool went on to win the FA Cup that year, they were a fading force in that awkward period between two different eras.

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Redknapp started to establish himself more fully the following season – Soun- ess putting his trust in the obvious talent he saw. By the time he left, in January ’94, Redknapp had cemented his place in the team. Roy Evans, steeped in the boot-room culture, had a wonderful clutch of younger players – Fowler, McManaman, Jones and Redknapp himself – alongside the enduring class of Ian Rush and John Barnes, helping to bridge the generations. Redknapp’s style lent itself both to the vision of what Evans wanted from the team and the philosophy of the club over the years. He was supremely comfortable on the ball and had a brilliant range of passing. He was also a beautifully clean striker of the ball – regularly taking free-kicks and also being the designated penalty taker for a period. He brought tempo to the midfield and enjoyed his best period, remaining largely injury-free.

It is often forgotten, too, the impact of Redknapp on the England team at Euro ’96 in the match against Scotland. England had toiled and laboured in the first half, before Terry Venables hooked Stuart Pearce, changed the system and inserted Redknapp into the midfield. The results were instantaneous: England began to play, popping the ball about fluidly before taking the lead. Redknapp was central to it all, his passing beautifully complimenting the rest of the England midfield. It is perhaps unfair to say that Redknapp having to then go off injured, and subsequently miss the rest of the tournament, summed up his career. His career was worth more than a missive like that. However, it was the start of a period that was blighted by injury, at a time when Redknapp should’ve been at his absolute peak.

The arrival of Gerard Houllier heralded a new era at Liverpool in more ways than one. The old was definitely out and the new was definitely in. David James,

Phil Babb, Paul Ince, and Steve McManaman all left and the magnificent talent of Robbie Fowler started to fall out of favour. Sami Hyypia, Stephane Henchoz, Didi Hamann, and Vladimir Smicer, amongst others, all arrived. In the midst of the new French revolution, with change, organisation, professionalism and stability at its core, Houllier made Redknapp the club captain.

The so-called ‘Spice Boys’ nonsense should never have been something that engulfed Redknapp. He was as far removed from that image as he could possibly have been. Managers knew the talent he had, as well as his leadership skills and dedication. He was a fulcrum of the team – a pivot on which the side revolved around, and when he was absent, it was noticed. In some ways, the emergence of a certain Steven Gerrard mitigated his injury absences.

To think of a favourite Jamie Redknapp moment would probably make most Reds fans pause and ponder for a moment. There are no ‘Olympiakos’ or ‘Istanbul’ moments that spring to mind. There were no cup finals he dominated, as his peer, Steve McManaman, did in the ’90s. But Redknapp wasn’t that type of player: he made the team tick, his role that of a mobile metronome that was vastly appreciated by his teammates and managers.

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I personally like to think of Redknapp against Newcastle in the 4-3 at Anfield. No, not that one – the other one the following season. He was part of a midfield, alongside John Barnes, Patrik Berger and McManaman that dominated a good Newcastle side in the first half, the piece de resistance being the most exquisite pass that sliced the Newcastle team in half, allowing Fowler to make it 3-0. Watch it if you can, whether you remember it or not. The vision and technique for the pass were both exceptional, and it was so perfectly weighted that Fowler didn’t even have to take a touch for it to be perfectly under control, before being slotted away.

I wonder how Redknapp would be viewed were he to play today. Alexis Mac Allister is probably the closest in terms of profile, more so than previous players Xabi Alonso and Thiago. He was the type of player that England doesn’t produce often – nor has featured overly for Liverpool either. Playing 308 games for Liverpool, though, is a stat that deserves more than a tip of a hat. He also scored 41 goals – a decent ratio for a midfielder. They are not the stats of an injury-prone player, showing, perhaps, that he has been unfairly tainted with this. The last couple of years of his Liverpool career, which were so blighted with injury, have probably lent more credence to this – at a time when his experience, leadership and ability should have been central to the success of the team.

But that isn’t the Jamie Redknapp I’ll remember. I’ll think of that pass against Newcastle, the metronomic passing, the long-range shots and the free-kicks. I’ll remember the midfield mastery and the commitment to the club from Dalglish to Souness to Evans to Houllier. He deserved more in terms of success and trophies but was, and always will be, a Liverpool man. And that in itself says a lot.

By Dave Prior