Harry: I’ll make the most of Terry disappointment

HARRY Redknapp admits he is disappointed about missing out on John Terry but believes Blues can make up for that by spreading their resources across the whole team.

Terry plumped for Blues’ crosscity rivals, despite making him what Redknapp considers to be a ‘great’ offer.

However, the manager has already moved on – by signing Barnsley’s Marc Roberts – and is already plotting how to allocate the rest of his budget.

“I would be a liar and suddenly because you don’t get someone you stand here and go ‘ Oh well, I didn’t want him anyway’. That wouldn’t be true,” Redknapp admitted.

“I have been a great John Terry fan forever, I think he is a fantastic player. But – and again I am telling you the truth – after the initial offer we made John, we made him a great offer, I started to think ‘Maybe I need five or six players and maybe rather than putting all my eggs in one basket I can spread John’s money and I can improve the squad more’.

“That was always in my mind as well. They have signed a good player but I am hoping to sign five or six good players with the budget for John.

“Maybe if I can do five or six people it will give me a better all-round team rather than having one fantastic player.

“Marc is excellent, a big strong centre, quick, good in the air. I think he has got a good future, I like him.

“We have brought the goalkeeper in, he was in Team of the Year last year, so we have signed a good goalkeeper – and there is more players going to come in.”

Redknapp reckons Steve Bruce’s public courtship of Terry came into I had the decision – and he backed the exEngland international to do well across the city.

“I haven’t had any contact with John for maybe five weeks,” he said. “I think Steve Bruce kept on at John, and obviously took him to Portugal and played golf with him.

“Listen, they have signed a good player, I am not standing here and saying ‘He is not a fantastic player’ – because he is. He can make the difference if he is fit and playing. He played for me the other week in a game, Michael Carrick’s testimonial and he was fantastic.”