'I accepted the job': Last English manager before Eddie Howe to win domestic trophy admits he almost joined Newcastle United

Eddie Howe became the first English manager to lift a major domestic honour since 2008 on Sunday which is an absolutely mind-blowing statistic.

The last Englishman to do so was none other than the part-man-part-car-window Harry Redknapp who lifted the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008.

Redknapp is an icon of the Premier League era, having managed several sides from the early Premier League era up until his retirement in 2017.

One club he never managed was, of course, Newcastle United despite constantly being linked with the job over the years with many journalists and pundits believing he'd be a perfect fit for the Magpies.

Harry Redknapp accepted the offer to manage Newcastle United and changed his mind

Now the former Tottenham Hotspur gaffer has admitted to Sky Sports that he almost took the job at Newcastle under Mike Ashley.

“I could have gone to Newcastle. I actually accepted the Newcastle job at one time when Mike Ashley was there.

“I agreed to go and then changed my mind and didn’t take it. There’s a bit of regret because Newcastle is a fantastic club, great support.”

We believe 'Arry dodged a bullet

In fairness, Redknapp probably dodged a huge bullet. Transfer deadline days driving out of Darsley Park for a through-the-window interview after Mike Ashley told him he can't buy anyone just wouldn't have suited him.

The club wasn't even a nice place to be during that time either, so he'd never really have got the full effect of managing Newcastle.

Although, Redknapp was a good old-fashioned manager and could maybe have got more out of the squad than some of the managers we did have under Mike Ashley *cough*Joe Kinnear*cough*.