Sven Goran Eriksson is the latest high profile figure to lend his support to the growing attempts to inaugurate Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp as the next England manager.

If the Football Association are to appoint an Englishman, then there is very little competition for Redknapp.

Regardless of what happens in Tottenham’s round of 16 second leg clash with AC Milan in the Champions League, Redknapp has already demonstrated his astute knowledge and prowess on the European stage and that’s something that’s been lacking from English candidates in recent years.

It still doesn’t guarantee that he’ll get the best out of an England squad that implodes on the big stage – that could be beyond any manager on the planet with the current generation – but the job appears to be his if he wants it.

 

And that will depend on where Tottenham are in two years time when current England incumbent Fabio Capello steps down.

Redknapp has firmly set his sights on building a team capable of challenging for the title within the next couple of seasons – and with the squad he has on paper at present, he can do that.

In the event that Spurs grow to an even bigger force to what they are now, would Redknapp leave a club he took from the doldrums and destined for great things for the poisoned chalice of the England managerial job?

Only the man in the White Hart Lane seat can answer that – but economic uncertainty and the club’s ability to retain and recruit the best players will make the decision much easier for him.

So much can change in a short space of time. Failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League could make it more difficult to hang on to players like Gareth Bale and Luka Modric – the type of performers who can propel Spurs to greater heights.

As Fernando Torres’s departure from Anfield shows, in-demand players don’t want to hang around if they’re not playing in Europe’s elite competition.

Add to this Chelsea’s and Manchester City’s bottomless pits, and Spurs are not going to be able to compete in the wages department either, insuring they will face and uphill battle when recruiting quality.

If it gets to the point where Redknapp feels he has taken the club as far as he can, then he may grab possibly his only chance of managing his country. But Spurs have defied the odds significantly over the past 12 months and if they continue to do that over the next two years, they could be title challengers under Redknapp and the FA could be forced to look elsewhere.