Redknapp reads Spurs riot act
Harry Redknapp is to crack down on drinking among Spurs players
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Friday, 15, May 2009 10:22
Harry Redknapp has said he will be well within his rights to implement any restrictions he likes on the personal lives of his players in order to keep them in line.
The Tottenham Hotspur manager, fielding questions from journalists over the late-night incident that saw Ledley King arrested last week, admitted he may be forced to take extreme measures to prevent a repeat.
England defender King was held overnight in a jail cell and questioned on suspicion of assault on a man in Soho, central London, in the early hours of Sunday morning before being bailed pending further inquiries.
And in response to questions over any internal sanctions for King or others who step out of line, Redknapp said: "I don't want them going out to nightclubs.
"I can ban them. We can do what we want - we're paying them massive money.
"They have a fantastic job coming here every day to train to be super-fit, to be top of their profession for a few years.
"They have the opportunity to earn money so they don't have to work again for the rest of their lives, so they should dedicate themselves to that."
Redknapp was quoted in the Sun newspaper yesterday as saying he would introduce a zero-tolerance programme to cut out all alcohol consumption among his players in order to hammer home his disciplinary message.
"I'll implement a strong rule next season that drinking is a no-no here," Redknapp said.
"Footballers should dedicate their lives to playing."
He added: "Footballers should not drink. You shouldn't put diesel in a Ferrari.
"I know it's hard but they are earning big money, they are role models to kids."
Despite announcing the stringent sanctions, Redknapp confirmed that King would play in the crucial Premier League game against Manchester City tomorrow, which could make or break either club's European ambitions.
The manager also confirmed the 28-year-old had apologised personally for his actions, in addition to releasing a statement saying the incident occurred after "a night out with friends went too far".