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New manager Harry Redknapp will be in complete control of transfer activity at Tottenham Hotspur.

The former Portsmouth boss was a shock appointment at White Hart Lane late on Saturday night, but said he only agreed to take over if Spurs abolished the director of football role.

The Premier League's bottom club sacked manager Juande Ramos and sporting director Damien Comolli after a disastrous start to the season, sparked by a chaotic summer of transfer activity.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy yesterday hailed a return "to a more traditional style of football management", with Redknapp calling the shots in the transfer market.

"The chairman will do the deals but I'll pick the players," Redknapp said. "I wouldn't let anyone else buy my players."

His first acquisition is coach Kevin Bond, who joined him at training on Monday morning, although he indicated he was keen to keep Clive Allen, who picked the team for Sunday's 2-0 win against Bolton.

The 61-year-old Redknapp said he decided to join to Spurs, having rejected them once before, because he did not want to carry any regrets into retirement.

"I nearly came here, it was a long story but things happened," he said.

"I nearly went to Newcastle and people said I didn't want to take on the challenge of a big club. I felt that once this happened I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."

The dysfunctional relationship between Ramos and Comolli is now being revealed, with the Spanish manager feeling his player recommendations were ignored.

Question marks were raised over the decision to sell strikers Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov without adequately replacing them.

HARRY REDKNAPP FACTFILE

* Born March 2, 1947, in Poplar, London

* 1964 - A midfielder, Redknapp starts his career at West Ham United before spells at Bournemouth, Brentford and American side Seattle Sounders

* July, 1992 - Moves to West Ham, just relegated to second division, as assistant to manager Billy Bonds, an old friend and also a former West Ham team mate.

* 1993 - West Ham promoted to the Premier League.

* August, 1994 - Bonds resigns and Redknapp takes over as the club's eighth manager. Offers to resign 24 hours later after he is accused of betraying Bonds.

* February, 1997 - Signs strikers Paul Kitson from Newcastle United and John Hartson from Arsenal. Their goals help West Ham finish 14th in Premier League and avoid relegation.

* May 9, 2001 - Resigns as manager of West Ham.

* June 21, 2000 - Appointed director of football at then second-division Portsmouth on three-year contract.

* March, 2002 - Redknapp replaces Graham Rix as Portsmouth manager, winning promotion to the Premier League the following season and then finishing 13th in England's top division.

* November, 2004 - Resigns as manager after a dispute with chairman Milan Mandaric over assistant coach Jim Smith and the appointment of Velimir Zajec as director of football.

* December, 2004 - Appointed manager of Portsmouth's rivals Southampton. They were relegated in May 2005 and he quit the club in December that year returning to take over at Portsmouth less than a week later following the sacking of Alain Perrin.

* May, 2006 - Saves Portsmouth from relegation and the club finish ninth in the following season.

* May, 2008 - After beating Manchester United in the quarter-finals, Portsmouth overcome Cardiff City in the final of the FA Cup to win the trophy for the first time in 69 years.

* October, 2008 - Joins Tottenham Hotspur as the club's new manager following the sacking of Juande Ramos.

Alex Chick / Eurosport