Daniel Levy: We'll fight to keep Harry Redknapp at Tottenham

The FA have confirmed Stuart Pearce will be in charge for the friendly against Holland in three weeks' time but their search for Fabio Capello's successor begins tomorrow with Redknapp the overwhelming favourite.

Although no contact has yet been made with Spurs,
chairman Daniel Levy is set to dismiss any possibility of Redknapp leaving with the club still fighting for the Premier League title.

Redknapp, who has 15 months left on his deal, is set to be offered a new contract and Levy hopes the support the club showed him during his trial for tax evasion - which ended yesterday with the manager found not guilty - will help convince him to stay.

Spurs will not let Redknapp go without a fight and will seek hefty compensation should the FA land their top target.

Redknapp today told the BBC he is only concentrating on Tottenham for the time being.

The 64-year-old said: "I was shocked and surprised. We knew he would leave in the summer but I didn't expect it to happen now.

"Tottenham is my focus. They have been fantastic. It wouldn't be right to focus on anything but Tottenham. I never thought about it [the England job]. The FA will make whatever decision they want to make. Hopefully, it will be the right decision for the country."

His son Jamie said today: "He's the outstanding candidate and everyone wants my dad to do it. It will be difficult for him to decide."

Sir Keith Mills, a non-executive director at the club, says they will wait to see what develops but spelled out their desire to keep him.

"Whether Harry will be approached is not a foregone conclusion," he said. "If he is, then Harry has got a big ­decision to make. Our position has been clear and that's that the fans want him to stay, the players and coaches do and the board does."

FA chairman David Bernstein insisted England Under-21 boss Pearce, who was also part of Capello's back-room team, was the perfect choice to step in right now.

"He has huge experience outside and inside the organisation," said Bernstein. "He knows the players very well. I've got great confidence in Stuart, we will be in good hands. I spoke to him a little earlier and, as you might expect from Stuart, his first thought was for his country and for managing his country without any conditions at all. He just said, 'If you would like me to do it, I want to do it'."

Bernstein announced the search for a new England manager would start in earnest tomorrow and said: "The focus is getting the best person in place as soon as we sensibly can. We will be interested in what we hear, who will come to us and we will obviously put together a shortlist of key people.

"He will not definitely be English. There is a preference for an English person or a British person, but, at the end, we want the best person."

Asked if someone could do the job on a part-time basis, he added: "I think we're open-minded."
Italian Capello, who quit over the FA's decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy, issued a statement today in which he said: "I would like to thank all players, staff and FA for the professionalism they have shown during my years as manager of the national team.

"A very special thanks to all the supporters: they've always supported the team and me in our job."