Jamie Redknapp’s finest games

Hull 1 Bournemouth 4 January 13, 1990 Second Division

“I made my debut in this match, aged 16 years and seven months. I started on the bench on a freezing night at Boothferry Park, with the wind coming in off the North Sea. My dad was Bournemouth’s manager – as I went on, I remember him telling me to look out for Hull striker Billy Whitehurst, who was a renowned hard man. After a few minutes, I gave the ball to our left- back and he got flattened by Whitehurst. Before I knew it, there was pushing and shoving and it had all kicked off. My first ever pass in senior football and I’d started a riot!”

Southampton 1 Liverpool 1 December 7, 1991 First Division

“This was the first time I made the Liverpool bench for a league game. For most of the match I sat there waiting, but with 27 minutes to go Graeme Souness nodded at me, and I came on as a substitute for Jan Molby. I didn’t have to wait too long to score my first goal. I can remember David Burrows putting the ball across the six- yard box and I smashed it home from about three inches. I fell into the net in front of all the Liverpool fans, and was screaming with joy. It was a beautiful moment. I floated through the rest of the game and was smiling for several days afterwards.”

England 2 Scotland 0 June 15, 1996 European Championship

“This was such a huge game at a packed Wembley – both teams were desperate to win it. Terry Venables brought me on at half- time with the score 0- 0, and we went on to win. It was amazing to be on the pitch with my childhood hero Paul Gascoigne, and help to make an impact. He’d said that if he scored he was going to do the dentist’s chair celebration, but we all thought he’d forget it in the heat of a game. He was true to his word, though – when he scored that volley he rushed behind the goal to do it, only this time with water and not tequila! It was a brilliant moment, but unfortunately I broke my ankle five minutes later and my tournament was over.”

Sheffield Wednesday 1 Liverpool 2 August 7, 1999 Premier League

“I captained Liverpool for the first time in this game, and I loved every minute of it. To walk out in front of the team wearing the armband was an unbelievable moment, thinking of all the legendary players who’d done it before me like Souness, Alan Hansen and Phil Thompson. I was bursting with pride. I got the shirt and armband from that match framed and hung it in my garage, next to a framed shirt worn by one of my heroes, Zinedine Zidane. Years later, I got burgled and the thieves nabbed my shirt but left the Zidane one. Who would do that? They must have been on drugs!”

Jamie Redknapp’s book, ‘ Me, Family and the Making of a Footballer’, is published by Headline and out now