Former Brakes boss backs Harry Redknapp for England job

Buy photos » Popular former Leamington Brakes manager Jason Cadden is backing Harry Redknapp as next England boss. (s)

FORMER Leamington manager Jason Cadden is backing Harry Redknapp as next England football manager.

And Jason – who guided Brakes to five promotions during his nine years at the club between 2000 and 2009 – is also hoping to once again follow the England national football team more closely after the controversial resignation of Fabio Capello.

Jason travelled to England games home and away for more than a decade, watching them at the World Cup in France in 1998 and Germany in 2006 and European Championships in Holland/Belgium in 2000 and Portugal in 2004.

He stopped going in recent years, partly due to increased family commitment and partly due to becoming disillusioned with the football being played under Capello during the disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa in 2010.

But Jason, the current assistant manager at Stratford Town Football Club, said he was now tempted to return to England games and was already considering a visit to the friendly with Holland at Wembley on February 29.

He told the Observer: “This is a new start and perhaps the fresh air everyone needed around England. I think most people would want Harry Redknapp as manager and I'd go along with that, with perhaps David Beckham working alongside him as I really like his passion.

“With an English manager in charge – and let's forget the Steve McClaren era as that was a bit of a joke – it could improve the atmosphere at England games and get the players playing with smiles on their faces again.”

Jason added he was enthused to see some good young English players finally coming through, hoping many would be used at this summer's Euro 2012 tournament in Poland/Ukraine alongside one or two of the older heads.

But, like all England fans, he added the realistic notion that we are “not going to win the tournament and not going to beat the likes of Spain and Germany.”

Asked about the recent captaincy issue, with John Terry being stripped of the armband as he faces trial for racial abuse of another player, he said of his own experiences: “A captain sometimes picks itself really, but if you want to achieve something and win you often need all 11 players to act like captains on the field for you.

“It is about the team rather than individuals, and always important to have a strong core then some flair around it.”

But Jason has no plans to return to the managerial hot seat any time soon.

He said: “I'm enjoying it as assistant manager at Stratford. Going back into full time management is not an option I've considered.”

He added he had not returned to watch Brakes since his controversial sacking in 2009, the manner of his departure – after a period of such success – clearly still a frustration.

But he summed up his feelings about that situation, and his views on the England football team, with the final comment: “It's a mad old sport isn't it.”