Warnock has talent to take on England job, says Redknapp

Neil Warnock: 'Anyone who has followed my career will know I love a lovable rogue and I'm absolutely thrilled to have signed a real good 'un in Joey Barton' (Getty Images)

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, remains the bookmakers' favourite to replace Fabio Capello as England manager in the summer but he believes Neil Warnock is a candidate for the job.

Warnock, whose Queen's Park Rangers team face Spurs tomorrow, and Redknapp are among the top three English managers in the Premier League. Newcastle United's Alan Pardew is the other.

Redknapp said he was impressed how Warnock gained promotion for QPR last season and by their start to the campaign on their return to the top flight.

"I'm sure he could do the job. If you have good players you have a chance," Redknapp said. "Neil has done fantastically. To walk in there and take them up first season takes some doing. People think it's easy but they've all been trying and no one got near it. Suddenly he walks in and up they go. He must be doing something right. People love to knock him."

Redknapp is expected to give the captain's armband to Scott Parker, who rejected the chance to join QPR in the summer, at White Hart Lane as Spurs look to stretch their unbeaten league run to seven matches.

"He's been everything and more since he's been here," said Redknapp of Parker. "Just fantastic. He really is a good player and a great lad. People don't really understand how to run football clubs and what it takes to have good teams and good dressing rooms.

"It's like anything in life, you need good people – and if you have good lads around you it makes your job easy. He comes in and trains, he's clean-cut, is a family man, gets on with his football, you can talk to him about the game, he's fantastic. You used to be able to do that with everyone."

Parker was made captain against Blackburn Rovers last weekend as Ledley King and Michael Dawson have been out injured. Dawson will see a specialist on Wednesday to determine whether he needs an operation on an Achilles injury.

Redknapp has, however, had William Gallas back in training this week. "Michael started to run but didn't feel good," Redknapp said. "He had another scan and now has to go to a specialist on Wednesday again to see why. Until he sees the specialist we don't know if they want to operate on him, which we don't want. An operation would be a long job."