Vedran Corluka Reveals How He Had to Beg Harry Redknapp to Let Him Leave Tottenham
Vedran Corluka has opened up about how he had to plead with Harry Redknapp to let him leave Tottenham after struggling to secure a regular spot in the team.
The former Croatia international joined Spurs from Manchester City in the summer of 2008 for £8.5 million, signing a six-year contract. However, just halfway through the season, Corluka found himself out of favour under Redknapp, leading to his decision to seek a move in order to secure more playing time and a spot in the Croatia squad for Euro 2012.
Despite Corluka’s desire to leave, Redknapp was initially resistant to the idea. The Croatian defender recalled: “When I told him that I had an option to move to Germany, Harry didn’t want to even hear about that. He said to me that he still needs me and that I’m like all the other players—very important to him.”
However, Corluka persisted and revealed the turning point in their conversation: “The day before leaving Spurs I called him, and even begged him to let me go, as that was the only option for me and my chances to be at Euro 2012. After that conversation, he softened up and said that I can leave Tottenham.”
Corluka eventually made the move to Bayer Leverkusen on loan, where he made eight appearances before joining Lokomotiv Moscow, where he enjoyed a successful career, winning the Russian Premier League and four Russian Cups over nine years.
Although his departure from Spurs was less than ideal, Corluka had fond memories of his time at the club. In fact, just months before his move to Leverkusen, he remarked, “Tottenham are a bigger club than Manchester City,” despite City’s newfound wealth after the Abu Dhabi takeover. Corluka explained: “The fans are a little bit more close to the club here than at City… when I played for City, the stadium wasn’t always full, whereas here, you never see that. Here, the stadium is full even when we play friendlies, so you can see that there is more passion for the club here than there is there.”
It’s uncertain if Corluka would still hold that view today, given the dominance of Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. However, with Ange Postecoglou at the helm, Spurs will be hoping to close the growing gap between the two clubs as they face off this weekend.
