体坛英语新闻：Harry Redknapp named QPR manager

LONDON, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Queens Park Rangers confirmed the appointment of Harry Redknapp as the club's new manager on Saturday.

The 65 year-old, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager, has signed a two-and-a-half year contract at Loftus Road and will watch his new team from the stands when they meet Manchester United at Old Trafford this afternoon.

"I'm delighted to be back in the managerial hot-seat at QPR," Redknapp said in the west London club's website.

Redknapp, one of the best English managers and once the favourite for Three lions' post early this year, replaced the predecessor Mark Hughes, who left the managerial seat on Friday having failed to clinch a win in their opening 12 games, leaving QPR bottom of the English top-flight league table.

The new manager showed his confidence to put the team back on track.

"There's no doubt there's a lot of ability in the squad, but for one reason or another things haven't gone as well as everyone expected since the start of the season," he said.

"I can't wait to get to work and get the results necessary to kick-start our season."

The club showed their belief and said Redknapp's track record at the highest level proved why he was widely-regarded as one of the best English managers in the business.

After guiding Portsmouth to an FA Cup Final victory in 2007/08, he enjoyed arguably his finest hour in management at Tottenham Hotspur, where he led them into the Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of the 2009/10 season. He was also named Premier League Manager of the Year at the end of that campaign.

After his success in clubs, Redknapp was also listed as favourite to take the England manager post after Italian Fabio Capello resigned in February this year. The governing body FA finally chose Roy Hodgson.

Redknapp left Tottenham Hotspur this summer. Before the appointment this morning, He had been reportedly linked with an invitation from Ukraine.