Harry Redknapp has opened up to Football Burp about the real reason for his shock resignation as manager of Queens Park Rangers – he wants to be a wheeler dealer after all.

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The rogue, loveable, once famously stormed out of a televised interview when he was quizzed about his Del Boy tendencies, insisting himself to be a “farkin’ football manager”, not some happy-go-lucky marketplace trader.

Redknapp initially attributed his decision to vacate the Loftus Road hot seat to his imminent knee surgery, despite speculation that he’d thrown his toys out the pram after failing to land either Emmanuel Adebayor or Aaron Lennon on transfer deadline day.

But, speaking exclusively to Football Burp, Redknapp confessed that he secretly harboured a desire to be a stereotypical cockney wheeler dealer all along.

He rolled down his window and said: “Well, it wasn’t going to be the knee surgery, was it? It’s not like I’m on the waiting list at Royal Bournemouth General.

“I just thought it was time to be true to myself and my dreams – I used to shy away from the ‘wheeler dealer’ tag, but wheeling and dealing is in me bones.

“It was the one pound fish guy who first made me realise how creative wheeling and dealing could be, and I’ve felt inspired to be creative ever since I met my accountant.

“I’ll just come right out and say it – I’m a wheeler dealer, not a farkin’ football manager.”

He added: “Er, and since I’m not there any more, it’s not my fault if QPR go down. Right?”

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