Harry Redknapp: England is the ultimate job but I couldn't manage Spurs as well

The 64-year-old is the hot favourite to succeed Fabio Capello after the Italian quit on Wednesday night - just four months before the start of Euro 2012 - but Redknapp admitted today he would find it very difficult to leave White Hart Lane.

A Football Association committee met at Wembley today to begin the process of drawing up a shortlist with Redknapp firmly expected to be their first choice.

Standard Sport revealed yesterday Spurs will reject any approach from the FA to take Redknapp before the end of the season and at the club's training ground today, he played down suggestions he was the automatic choice.

"It has to be [the ultimate job] but you have to look at the whole thing and realise what a tough job it is," said the Spurs boss. "No one has a magic wand and the list of managers who have been top class and gone in full of hope all found it very difficult. Whoever takes it has a real job on his hands."

Redknapp, who was cleared of accusations of cheating the public revenue at Southwark Crown Court just hours before Capello handed in his resignation, admitted it would be tough for any manager to combine club and country duties.

"Its probably very difficult to do both," said Redknapp. "Its hard enough managing a club, let alone managing your country. It's very difficult - your focus would have to be on one job.

"You can't be going home thinking 'who's playing well in this situation [for an international call-up]'. I can't take my eye off the ball at Tottenham at the moment. We're looking to get Champions League football, we are still in the FA Cup. I owe it to them to be completely focused on the job I am doing here. It wouldn't be fair to anybody at this club if I let my thoughts wander elsewhere.

"I really haven't thought too much about the England job. I have enjoyed my time here, the chairman [Daniel Levy] has been great to me and I have been great for them as well.

"Until the question gets asked 'would you want the job' - no one has ever approached Daniel and that's the key because he is the chairman - there's nothing for me to even consider."

Redknapp admitted he has been flattered by the groundswell of opinion in favour of him succeeding Capello and leading England to this summer's finals in Poland and Ukraine.

"Its nice that people put me in a position where they think I've got a chance of getting the job. It is flattering - other managers have come out and said nice things and I appreciate everybody's support in everything that's happened in my life in the last little spell.

"I have had great support from everybody and that is important. When you go through a situation like I have, you find out who your friends are. Certain people have been amazing. Richard Bevan of the League Managers' Association has been amazing for me like he is with every manager. I'd like to thank him especially.

"Its difficult. We have got a big game tomorrow with Newcastle. The club have been great to me and it couldn't have gone better for me in the three years I've had here. I've loved every minute of it - we've got an excellent team and I couldn't be happier in my work than I am at the moment."

The FA hinted yesterday they are looking for a manager to solve both the short-term issue of managing at Euro 2012 with the longer term aim of developing grass-roots football.

That raises the possibility of a manager coming on a temporary basis until after this summer's finals, which would enable Redknapp to remain at Tottenham but also give him the chance to manage England.

Redknapp admits the additional scrutiny that comes with managing England would be a concern and expressed his sympathy for Capello, who left the job after a row with the FA over their decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy while he awaits trial for a racially aggravated public order offence, a charge the player denies.

"I felt apart from the World Cup, he is a great manager," said Redknapp. "You only have to look at his record - he is one of the world's best managers. It just shows you what a difficult job it is to manage England and make a success of it when you go an get someone like Fabio Capello, and there wouldn't be too many better in the world than him, and he found it difficult.

"There have been a lot of great managers since Alf Ramsey - even the great Bobby Robson who we all admire so much, he found it difficult. He went through some terrible periods and got slaughtered at times. There are lots of top managers who have tried but apart from Terry Venables, who came out of Euro 96 with a lot of credit, we haven't had too much success."

Redknapp admitted his tax evasion trial was "the most draining experience of my life" and one that put great strain on his family, as would the England job albeit in a different manner.

"I'd have to consider everything - at my age, I have to do what's right for me now," said Redknapp. "Whatever decision I would make, my family has got to come first now."