Top 10 players who are loved so much by managers that the gaffers keep buying them back

1. Peter Crouch and Harry Redknapp

Harry Redknapp is obviously something of a fan of Peter Crouch, who he bought for the third time yesterday . The 6'7" England forward was snapped up by Harry initially at Southampton before the 2004-05 season.

That year Crouch won the first of his 34-and-counting caps for the Three Lions. So perhaps that is why Crouchy-gol keeps boomeranging back to Redknapp. Following a tricky stint at Liverpool where he failed to convince the Kopites that he truly belonged, last summer Crouch moved to the south coast where Harry was boss of Portsmouth.

And now the boy from Macclesfield turned down a move to Sunderland (which, incidentally, would have earned Pompey £3m more) so he can once again link up with Redknapp and they can let the magic happen for a third time. How sweet!

2. John O'Hare and Brian Clough

Was Brian Clough a softy after all? 'Ol big 'ed showed some trust and compassion in 1967 when he signed John O'Hare, then labelled a slow and large forward, from Sunderland for £20,000 - a huge fee back then. Clough, then manager of Derby County, showed great faith in the Scot and was rewarded with stacks of goals.

Clough soon began to wring the potential out of O'Hare, now 62, and in 1972 Derby won Division One. O'Hare was signed again by Clough when he moved to Leeds United for a 44-day stint in 1974. And then, the following year, O'Hare followed Clough to Nottingham Forest where the pair went on to win the league once more and also capture the European Cup. Cloughie the ol' softy.

3. John McGovern and Brian Clough

Scottish midfielder John McGovern was another one of Cloughie's favourites - what was it with those Scots? In 1968, a year into his reign as Derby manager, Clough signed the then-19-year-old McGovern, in spite of medics wondering whether he was tough enough to compete at the highest level (he was missing a muscle in his back).

It turned out to be the start of something very beautiful. After winning the First Division League with Derby, McGovern moved with Clough to Leeds and then - like O'Hare - on to Nottingham Forest. Clough appointed the midfielder skipper at Forest and McGovern went on to win two European Cups, two League Cup and the league again. Not bad for a man missing a muscle in his back.

4. Roque Santa Cruz and Mark Hughes

Last month Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz, 27, was signed for the second time in two years by Manchester City manager Mark Hughes. The former Wales manager had plucked Santa Cruz from the Bundesliga in 2007, where he had been for eight years and his career had stagnated.

Hughes reinvigorated the forward, who he had paid only £3.5m for, and Roque was soon banging the goals in for Rovers. He took just three touches before he netted his first goal for the club when he was substituted on in the opening game of the season, the 2-1 win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

He went on to score 23 goals in his first season but last term was lost without manager Hughes moved on to Eastlands. Hughes has been pining for Santa Cruz and has finally been reunited with his man. Expect a hatful of goals from the tall Paraguayan once more.

5. Junior Lewis and Peter Taylor

Last June 34-year-old midfielder Junior Lewis hung up his boots and joined the Wycombe Wanderers backroom staff, where he was reunited with his old manager Peter Taylor. Former England Under-21 coach Taylor obviously liked the look of Lewis's football skills, having signed his not once, not twice, but SIX times!

Lewis played under Taylor at Dover, Gillingham, Leicester, Brighton, Hull and Stevenage.

6. Tam McManus and Stephen Kenny

Former Scotland Under-21 striker Tam McManus, 28, signed for League of Ireland club Derry City in March - the second time manager Stephen Kenny bought him. The former Hibs, Dundee, Falkirk and Colorado Rapids forward, had first been snapped up by Kenny at Dunfermline Athletic.

7. El Hadji Diouf and Sam Allardyce

The Senegalese forward has managed to ruffle feathers wherever he has played, but Big Sam Allardyce still believes El Hadji Diouf is a positive influence on his team. Well, you would suppose he would think so, considering he has bought his twice.

Diouf, now 28, was initially picked up by then-Bolton Wanderers manager Allardyce in 2004-05. The attacker's career was languishing at Liverpool and Allardyce thought that a loan spell at the Reebok would be just the tonic El Hadji needed. And, well, he was kind of right.

The gobbing, aggressive forward certainly made his presence felt and a permanent move followed at the end of that season. When Big Sam wound up at Blackburn last season, following a laughable stint at Newcastle, he once again came knocking at the Senegal international's door. Again struggling away from Sam - this time at Sunderland - El Hadji could not resist the warm embrace of Allardyce, and so they danced, hand in hand, towards the sunset. Or something like that.

8 and 9. Maniche, Paulo Ferreira and Jose Mourinho

The Portuguese duo must have been talented having been bought more than once by the Special One, Jose Mourinho.

Maniche, a winger at Benfica, was snapped up in 2002 by Mourinho, then Porto boss, after disciplinary problems meant that the Eagles were happy to offload him. Mourinho moved Maniche to central midfield and his game flourished - he won the first of 49 international caps later that season. In 2004 Porto won the UEFA Cup and the following year they won the big one, the Champions League, before Mourinho packed his bags for Stamford Bridge.

In 2006 Maniche was reunited with again Mourinho, who was by then wielding his influence at Chelsea. His loan spell from Dynamo Moscow was not as successful at the Porto stint, and only latest eight ineffectual games. Mourinho offered him another life line - on loan from Atletico Madrid - last year at Inter Milan but the 31-year-old again failed to hit the high notes. This season he will line up in the colours of FC Koln.

Paulo Ferreira was plucked from relative obscurity by Mourinho - he moved from Vitoria Setubal to Porto in 2002 and made his international bow later that year. The Special One was impressed by the right-back's consistency - he once described the 56-cap Portuguese as "a player who will never be man of the match but will always score 7/10 for his individual display".

When Mourinho moved to Chelsea Ferreira was one of his first signings, and cost the Blues £13.2m. The 30-year-old, alas, has not been the same player in west London since Mourinho's departure.

NB Ricardo Carvalho has also played under Mourinho twice - the centre-back cemented his place in the Porto first team when he was boss, having come through the youth team ranks. A £19.5m move to Chelsea followed and - if the rumours are to be believed - the 31-year-old could be moving to Inter to be with him again, too.

10. Paul Gascoigne and Walter Smith

Glasgow Rangers manager Walter Smith pulled off a major coup when he signed Paul Gascoigne from Lazio for £4.3m in 1995 from Serie A giants Lazio. Then 28, Gazza was at the peak of his footballing powers. Sure enough he proved a wonder for the Gers - in only his fifth game he waltzed the length of the pitch with the ball and netted a superb goal. The football flowed and the trophies soon followed.

Smith signed Gazza again in 2000 when he was Everton manager, but by then the 33-year-old was passed his best and only made 32 appearances for the Toffees, netting only once in two seasons.

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