Harry Redknapp to Derby: Former West Ham United and Tottenham boss also to manage Jordan

The 69-year-old starts his role with the Championship club this morning after agreeing to assist head coach Darren Wassall

Harry Redknapp (Getty Images)

Harry Redknapp has agreed to manage the Jordan national team concurrently with his duties as an advisor to Derby County head coach Darren Wassall.

The 69-year-old starts his role with the Championship club this morning where he will provide assistance and experience to the backroom staff after the Rams sacked former Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid coach Paul Clement as manager in February.

Jordan, who approached the former West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur manager through former Fifa presidential hopeful and FA chief Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, are scheduled to play World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Australia this month.

Derby, meanwhile, face East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest this weekend with the gap to the automatic promotion places being extended to seven points by Brighton and Hove Albion’s 1-0 success against Reading last night.

“It's going to be a tough couple of weeks, that's for sure,” Redknapp told the Sun newspaper. “I'm friends with Prince Ali and wanted him to take over from Sepp Blatter. He asked me if I'd manage the team for a couple of matches and I agreed.

“I'll go to the Forest game and then go straight to London and fly to Jordan. It's a busy time but I've missed the buzz of being involved in football.”

The former Bournemouth midfielder has previously managed the Cherries as well as West Ham, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers but resigned at Loftus Road a year ago because of health problems.

Chief executive Sam Rush said: “Darren felt he needed some more senior coaching support, someone who has been there and done it. Harry came to the training ground and met Darren and myself. We had a discussion and are looking at bringing him in in an advisory role.

“It was Darren's idea. It is a short-term coaching role to provide support for the rest of the season. It is a defined time for the next eight weeks or so.”