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Yakubu Aiyegbeni once came within a hair's breadth of winning ₦20 million from manager Harry Redknapp
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp shared an anecdote about his time with Nigerian striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni, recalling a time when the ex-Super Eagles forward almost won £20,000 off him.
Redknapp recalls hilarious Yakubu incident
Redknapp was responsible for bringing Yakubu to England with Portsmouth after signing the Nigerian forward as director of football at Portsmouth from Maccabi Haifa in the winter of 2003.
The English manager would go on to coach Yakubu in the Premier League after they both helped Portsmouth gain promotion to the top division.
Ahead of their first Premier League season together, Redknapp recalls that Yakubu made a startling promise.
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“We got promoted from the Championship and we were in the Premier League, Redknapp said, continuing, “I said to the Yak at the start of the season: ‘How many goals do you think you will score this year?’ Premier goals, not cup goals.
“He said 20.
“I said: ’20 league goals?!’
“He went: ‘I think so gaffer, yeah,” to which Reknapp replied, “If you get 20 league goals I will give you £20,000. Me, personally.”
Yakubu misses out on £20,000 bet
By the end of the season, Redknapp recalls that Portsmouth rounded up the season with a convincing 5-1 win over Middlesbrough to end the season in a respectable 13th place.
However, while the team celebrated, Yakubu looked dejected despite scoring four goals in the last game of the season.
Redknapp recalls, “Anyway the season goes on and he is going okay. Last game of the season we played Middlesbrough at home and we won 5-0. The Yak has scored four goals.
“He comes in after the game: ‘Hey Yak you were fantastic today,’ I said. ‘What a performance, great goals.
“He said: ‘Yeah but I should have scored the other goal.’
“I said: ‘What goal, don’t worry about that you got four goals.’
“He said: ‘But I have 19 goals and one more goal and I would have won your money.’
“I went: ‘Oh my god. I didn’t realise that. I would have subbed you way before that.”
Redknapp and Yakubu would spend only one full season together, as the manager left Portsmouth soon after the start of the 2004/05 season.
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