New Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has outlined his lifelong ties to the club.

In his match programme notes for yesterday's victory over Liverpool, Redknapp wrote: "This is a fantastic football club with a proud history. I trained with Spurs as a youngster every Tuesday and Thursday for nearly four years and watched every First Team game that I could.

"I even had the pleasure of meeting Bill Nicholson. My Dad and I travelled down from Mile End to White Hart Lane station after being invited by Dickie Walker, the Club's chief scout. Dickie told Bill that I played outside right and, after revealing that my name was not a regular on the scoresheet, the great man's assessment was simple: 'the only great winger that did not score goals was Stanley Matthews and you are not going to be as good as him are you, Harry?' He was right of course.

"As a big follower of the history of the game I know about the traditions associated with Spurs, a club that has always played with a style well noted across Europe. Spurs were the original push and run side and have produced some fantastic players over the years. Just walking around here makes you realise just how big this club is, irrespective of where we currently sit in the league table.

"You only have to look at the stadium - and the plans for a new world class one - the crowd, you gave me a terrific welcome on Sunday and I appreciate that, as well as the quality of players on show against Bolton Wanderers and again against Arsenal. I was sitting on the bench and wondering how on earth this team could be at the bottom.

"Clive Allen deserves credit for the result on Sunday having put the team together at such short notice. I have since added Kevin Bond to my staff, a terrific coach who worked with me at Portsmouth and I am delighted to have him with me."