Tottenham Hotspur: 10 Candidates to Replace Harry Redknapp as Spurs Manager

Spurs fans may not want to admit it, but their coach may be moving on to the biggest stage in soccer.

With current England head coach Fabio Capello set to step down following next summer's Euro 2012 tournament, speculation has already begun over who might replace the Italian, with Tottenham's Harry Redknapp considered a favorite.

It's bigger than rumors. According to GiveMeFootball.com, contract talks with Luka Modric have stalled because the midfielder believes that Redknapp may leave White Hart Lane for the England job at the end of the season.

Even Queens Park Rangers head coach Neil Warnock has said publicly that he wants Redknapp as England manager now. When speaking with MirrorFootball.co.uk, Warnock said he wants the Tottenham coach there before next summer, because he claims the team has no chance of winning the finals.

If given the chance to coach England's national squad, I think Redknapp (or anyone else for that matter) would jump at the opportunity to replace Capello.

But who would replace Redknapp?

Jupp Heynckes

Tottenham would do well to have a manager who excelled as a player and has coaching experience in several different countries.

Jupp Heynckes, current head coach for Germany's Bayern Munich, not only meets both of those qualifications, he has excelled at them.

Formerly a striker for West Germany's national team, Heynckes has coached in Spain, Portugal and Germany. He's won championships in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, took Athletic Bilbao of La Liga to its first Champions League appearance and brought the Champions League trophy to Real Madrid.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: Heynckes loves to take on a challenge and venture into the unknown. Tottenham, and the Premiership, would provide both.

David Moyes

What David Moyes has done at Everton over the last six years, with very little money, is astonishing. 

The only thing holding back the Scottish coach from international notoriety is his lack of championships. He may not have won the trophies, but that's less a reflection on his talent as a manager (he's twice been named Manager of the Season) and more a reflection on Everton's inability to pony up the big bucks for talented players.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: He's stated that he wants to go to a club where he "can give the supporters something" and succeed. With Tottenham's deep pockets, perhaps the brilliant tactician can finally have the roster he's always wanted.

José Mourinho

Last March, José Mourinho was called "the best coach in any sport, anywhere" by Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.

The scary thing is, it doesn't take much to convince us.

At that point, the Real Madrid manager hadn't lost a league game at home in nine seasons and was on a campaign to win his third Champions League title (his team ended up losing in the semi-finals).

But with all his success in La Liga, a tempting offer may bring Mourinho back to the Premiership. From 2004-2007, the Portuguese-born manager led Chelsea to an unbeaten record at home and earned six trophies for the club. But a disagreement with the front office forced Mourinho to leave as the most successful manager in the team's history.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: Tottenham is another London club with deep pockets that could lure Mourinho into his second spell in England. He was successful in the Premiership, and I think enjoyed his time (and success) there.

Neil Warnock

Neil Warnock may turn 63 in December, but you wouldn't know it from his outbursts on and off the pitch.

The England-born coach insults referees when calls don't go his way during games, keeps long-standing feuds with managers at nearly every level of the English soccer pyramid and has publicly stated that he'd be a better head coach for England's national team than Fabio Capello. 

Despite all that, Warnock's résumé is as impressive as his tirades. He's led clubs such as Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers to promotion into the Premiership and has a knack for getting young players to play like they're veterans (like during his stint at Crystal Palace).

He's currently coaching at QPR, so the question for Tottenham is if Warnock would move across town to take the next big step in his coaching career.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: Warnock's an outspoken leader who would do well for a Spurs team that is filling its locker room with more and more high-profile, international players.

Rafael Benitez

Rafael Benitez has made no effort to hide his desire to come back to the Premiership. He's publicly stated he wants to come back to Liverpool, but he's also conceded that "for me, the priority is the Premier League."

But current Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has shown owner John W. Henry that despite not being the top candidate for the job when he was brought on, he's one of the best managers in the league. He's gained the board's confidence and the fans' support and cemented his place as manager of Liverpool.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: If Benitez's desire to come back to the Premiership outweighs his desire to coach at Liverpool, I think he could be seen as a strong candidate. He's an incredibly smart coach, putting players at unorthodox positions and getting incredible results. With a pool of young talent and a strong youth program, Benitez and Tottenham could be a great pairing.

Alex McLeish

If there's one thing that can be said for Alex McLeish, it's that he turns lemons into lemonade.

The 52-year-old coach seems to have a penchant for managing clubs with mediocre rosters and helping them overachieve.

For example, as the manager of Scotland's national team, McLeish was just a victory against Italy away from qualifying for the 2008 UEFA Euro finals. He brought Birmingham City to the top flight of English football the following year.

He's currently managing Aston Villa, a team that sits eighth in the table despite only having two wins.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has ties to the Rangers team and a relationship with McLeish. Perhaps this will be McLeish's first try as manager of a team with real talent and deep pockets.

Alan Pardew

I know it may seem like an unpopular choice, but despite the ups and downs of his career, Alan Pardew is one of the most experienced and talented managers in the Premiership.

The current manager of Newcastle has been coaching since 1998, when he was appointed caretaker for Division Two club Reading. In his few years at Reading, Pardew showed his ability to bring in good players at bargain prices (such as Jamie Cureton). He led Reading to promotion to Division One and was contacted by several top-flight clubs to be their manager.

After a few years at Charlton Athletic and Southampton, he joined Newcastle United in 2010. He started his first season with a 10-game unbeaten streak and showed he still had a knack for bringing in good players that wouldn't break the bank (such as Yohan Cabaye and Sylvain Marveaux).

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: Pardew currently has Newcastle United at fourth in the league table and just three points behind Chelsea and out of the top three. If he can get the club into Europa League qualification (or... gasp... into the Champions League!), then the English-born manager will have proven just how gifted a leader he truly is.

Kevin Bond

So far, we've only been talking about head coaches, but will Tottenham take a leap of faith and hand the reigns of their club to Harry Redknapp's right-hand man?

It would be an incredible risk, but not one that would be unfounded. Before Redknapp brought Bond over to Tottenham, he had managed several clubs, including Stafford Rangers and Bournemouth.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: No one knows the club, board or reserve and youth teams better than Bond. I'm not saying it's likely, I'm just saying it's a possibility.

Martin Jol

Although I don't think it likely that Martin Jol would return to Tottenham, stranger things have happened.

The 55-year-old manager led the club to an impressive run from 2004-2007, climbing up the league table and showing the Premiership that Tottenham has a bankroll that runs as deep as Manchester United's or Chelsea's.

But the board wasn't confident with his leadership going into the 2007 season and sacked Jol just two months into the 2007/2008 season. Jol spent the next few years in the Eredivisie with Ajax before Fulham hired him, prompting his return back to the Premiership.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: Many fans still love him and have a bitter taste in their mouths from how the club dealt with his departure. I think Jol was dealt a nearly impossible hand in his few years at Tottenham, but with the club willing to spend more, maybe the Dutch manager will be willing to give White Hart Lane another go around.

Fabio Capello

I think Fabio Capello has the least amount of chance coming to Tottenham, but wouldn't it be a hoot if he and Harry Redknapp merely switched places?

Capello has stated more times than we can count that he's retiring after this summer's Euro 2012 finals, but I think the Italian does his best work when he's interacting with players every day, as compared to every month.

At Real Madrid, he shelved his defensive preference for an attacking style that best suited the players he had, winning the Spanish league title in 1997. The next year he was appointed manager for Milan, rebuilding the team and winning the Serie A title.

Why he'd be a great fit for Tottenham: As I said, I don't think the club is going to go in the direction of Capello, but he'd be a great fit for the London club. He is a smart coach and a brilliant tactician. The recent success of Tottenham is a direct result of Redknapp's ability to move players around and play them at the positions that best suit the team.