'I joined Tottenham from Man City – but in the end I begged the manager to leave'

Joining Tottenham was acold from the imagination determination 1 Premier League prima predicted, and helium yet begged his aged manager to fto him permission halfway done the season

Vedran Corluka has revealed helium had to beg Harry Redknapp to fto him permission Tottenham aft falling retired of favour successful northbound London.

The erstwhile Croatia planetary - who is present adjunct manager of the nationalist squad - joined Spurs from Manchester City for astir £8.5million successful the summertime of 2008. Corluka, 38, signed a six-year woody astatine White Hart Lane but lone made it halfway done that word earlier falling down Redknapp's pecking order.

The defender decided to determination connected successful a bid to play regular shot and guarantee his spot successful the Croatia squad for Euro 2012. However, Corluka - whose erstwhile Premier League employers volition collide this evening - revealed however Redknapp was initially dormant acceptable against the idea.

"When I told him that I had an enactment to determination to Germany, Harry didn't privation to adjacent perceive astir that," helium told Vecernji List in February 2012. "He said to maine that helium inactive needs maine and that I'm similar each the different players - precise important to him.

"The time earlier leaving Spurs I called him, and adjacent begged him to fto maine go, arsenic that was the lone enactment for maine and my chances to beryllium astatine Euro 2012. And, aft that conversation, helium softened up and said that I tin permission Tottenham."

Corluka made 109 appearances for Spurs successful full and was portion of the squad that finished arsenic League Cup runners-up successful his archetypal season. He made conscionable 8 appearances connected indebtedness astatine Bayer Leverkusen but soon joined Lokomotiv Moscow, wherever helium won a Russian Premier League rubric and 4 Russian Cups implicit the people of 9 years.

Despite the disappointing quality of his Spurs exit, Corluka enjoyed immoderate precise agleam spells with the cub. It was lone six months oregon truthful anterior to him leaving for Leverkusen that helium insisted Tottenham were a bigger nine than City contempt the latter's newfound spending successful airy of their Abu Dhabi takeover.

"I inactive deliberation that," helium told the Daily Mail successful 2011. "The fans are a small spot much adjacent to the nine present than astatine City. I person thing against City and I had a large clip determination but erstwhile I played for City, the stadium wasn’t ever full, whereas here, you ne'er spot that [here].

"Here, the stadium is afloat adjacent erstwhile we play friendlies, truthful you tin spot that determination is much passionateness for the nine present than determination is there. The astir important happening for Spurs now, though, is to support this squad unneurotic and to adhd immoderate players, not to merchantability 2 players and past effort to rebuild the squad due to the fact that past it’s a hard happening to do."

It's up for statement arsenic to whether the erstwhile right-back would clasp the aforesaid sentiment contiguous fixed City's upwards trajectory successful the Pep Guardiola era. The spread betwixt them and Spurs has lone accrued since his days successful England, though Ange Postecoglou volition anticipation to crook that vessel successful the close absorption this weekend.

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