Redknapp decides to stay on at Southampton

After failing to save Southampton from relegation, Harry Redknapp last night announced that he intends to stay on as manager and lead the club's attempt to bounce back into the Premiership.

After failing to save Southampton from relegation, Harry Redknapp last night announced that he intends to stay on as manager and lead the club's attempt to bounce back into the Premiership.

There had been much speculation that Redknapp would retire after the Saints dropped into the Championship after their defeat to Manchester United at the weekend left them bottom of the table, but after holding talks with the club's chairman, Rupert Lowe, Redknapp has decided to remain at St Mary's.

"We had a good meeting," Redknapp said. "It was nice and positive. When I walked off the pitch on Sunday, the fans were fantastic and there was no doubt that I wanted to stay at the club."

Redknapp, who suffered the first relegation of his career, may have been swayed by his son, Jamie, who plays for the club, who had earlier urged him not to retire.

"I'm hoping dad will stay," Jamie said, "he should stay. He's a good manager and if anybody can get them back up in the Premier League then it's him. That would be the best thing, to come back up and be a Premiership team for years to come.

"He's got the ability to get Southampton back up. He's done it with Portsmouth, if he hadn't taken over they probably would be playing League One football by now. He did a great job getting them in the Premiership and I'm sure he can do the same with Southampton."

Whether Jamie will be able to help his dad next season will depend on the outcome of a consultation with the American knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman. "I want to play on," Redknapp said. "I loved it at Southampton, especially the way we finished up, it's unfinished business. The fans have been incredible. When we were relegated I was expecting no one to be in the stadium because we let them down but everyone gave us a great ovation. I felt embarrassed about that because we didn't deserve it because we were failures."