Harry Redknapp
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp Reuters

Bolton Wanderers Chairman and FA board member Phil Gartside has backed Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp to succeed Fabio Capello and become the next manager of England.

Redknapp has been tipped as the frontrunner for the job ever since Capello quit the post in early February, after the FA stripped Chelsea's John Terry of the England captaincy without consulting the Italian.

Now, Gartside says Redknapp would be an outstanding manager for England and also added the Spurs boss is a good motivator with a winning mentality.

"Harry is an outstanding English manager. The one quality which I believe the England manager should have is a winning mentality. For too long, we have not had a team which is capable of winning a tournament. The most important job for any England manager is to win a tournament for us," the BBC quoted Gartside as saying.

The initial selection process for the manager will be conducted by a four-person panel which includes FA chairman David Bernstein, Director of Football Development Sir Trevor Brooking, General Secretary Alex Horne and Club England Managing Director Adrian Bevington. However, Gartside is an important member of the Association and part of the board that will be asked to approve the decision.

The FA had earlier stated it had no particular timeframe in mind in appointing the new manager and might only make an approach around the end of the league season so that it would not disrupt any of the clubs involved.

However, with the 2012 European Championships only a month away, the FA feel it is time to appoint a more permanent manager (the England first team is presently being helmed by Stuart Pearce, the manager of the Under-21 side).

Meanwhile, Redknapp had another sad day at the racecourse when his horse, Arry's Orse, died of a suspected heart attack at Ripon on Thursday. The five year old animal had just joined trainer David Nicholls at Yorkshire.

"It was a suspected heart attack. It is a great pity but at least it was quick," Daily Mail quoted Nicholls.

Redknapp had earlier seen his racehorse, Bygones In Brid, killed after falling heavily at the first fence during a race at Taunton on 1 March.