LONDON: Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Harry Redknapp says that being overlooked for the England manager's job came as something of a relief.

Redknapp, 65, appeared to be the people's favourite to take over from Fabio Capello when the Italian resigned over the decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy after he was accused of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand.

But in the end the English Football Association handed the job -- considered by many in the game as something of a poisoned chalice -- to Roy Hodgson, and Redknapp has revealed he was “quite relieved”.

He told Saturday's Daily Mail: “I was enjoying my life at Tottenham and I did wonder how I would cope, if it happened, with what is part-time football. I do enjoy seeing footballers every day, being on the training ground.

“I was driving when I heard on the radio that Roy had got the job. It happened out of the blue. But I didn't lose any sleep over it that night.

“I was almost quite relieved in a way -- that I hadn't been given a decision to make. The decision had been taken away from me.”

Although the FA have insisted Hodgson was always their first choice, Redknapp hinted that contractual problems with his then club Tottenham may have played a part in him being overlooked.

He said: “When I look back, I think it was always going to be a problem for me.

“I mean, I have to be careful what I say here, but I had a contract that was very heavily loaded, that anyone who wanted to take me, we're talking massive money in compensation.”

Redknapp parted company with Tottenham in June after falling out with chairman Daniel Levy, despite having led the club to fourth place in the Premier League and been cleared of charges of tax evasion.

Last week, Redknapp made a surprise return to the game after accepting an advisory role at League One (third-tier) club Bournemouth, where he began his long managerial career in 1983.