Steve Bruce should be next England manager, says Harry Redknapp

Harry Redknapp believes Sunderland boss Steve Bruce should become the next manager of England.

The Spurs manager believes Bruce's achievements at the Stadium of Light mark him down as an international manager-in-waiting after excelling as a player under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

Redknapp himself was linked with the job following Steve McClaren's departure in the wake of England's abysmal Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

The FA instead opted to go for Fabio Capello.  But Redknapp, 61, believes Bruce is a realistic candidate to succeed the Italian.

He said: “I think Steve can do the job, why not? I think he’s a great guy and a good manager.

“He’s done a terrific job were ever he has been, at Birmingham and Wigan. He did a tremendous job there and he’s doing a terrific job at Sunderland and I would think that when the job comes around again he’s the type of lad who should be right up there.

“I don’t see why not. He knows and understands the game, he’s had a great grounding in the game.

“When I was manager of Bournemouth I saw him at Gillingham and recommended him to top sides. They didn’t take any notice and he ended up going to Norwich and moved to Manchester United and you can’t have a better manager than Sir Alex Ferguson, so he’s had a good grounding.

“He’s done it all as a player and now as a manager and there’s no reason why he can’t go on to be an England manager. And I like him as a guy, he’s a terrific guy as well.”

Meanwhile Spurs have revealed they too are joining Newcastle and Chelsea in the race for naming rights sponsor to partly fund their new stadium.

Executive Director Paul Barber said: "The key word is 'new'. It is a new stadium as opposed to White Hart Lane and that's the fundamental difference to what Newcastle have done and what Chelsea are planning.

"There's a balancing act. ITs great those stadia exist already and that a sponsor can come straight in and name them tomorrow. But of course they've got with that the associated heritage and history of St James's Park and Stamford Bridge to contend with in the name.

"We have left the path clear for a sponsor to come in from day one, just as Arsenal did with the Emirates, so there are two very different scenarios."