Heart surgery a success for Redknapp

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp successfully underwent a heart procedure to unblock coronary arteries on Wednesday.

Redknapp, 64, is in "excellent spirits" and is due to be discharged from hospital in the next 48 hours, according to Tottenham.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: "We are delighted the operation went so smoothly and successfully.

"Knowing Harry he will want to rush back, but it's important that he only does so when he has recovered properly."

Levy said Redknapp had asked for his thanks to be passed to fans who had sent goodwill messages.

Tottenham confirmed on Tuesday night that the former West Ham manager was set to undergo a "medical procedure" that would rule him out of the club's trip to Rubin Kazan this week.

Assistant manager Kevin Bond and first-team coach Joe Jordan will take charge of the team for Thursday night's Europa League match in Russia.

Redknapp lives in Bournemouth and makes the 250-mile round trip to the club's training ground most days along with Bond.

The former Portsmouth manager, who has been in charge of Spurs for three years, admitted in March 2010 that he had started talking heart pills upon the advice of his doctors, but stressed it was not a major problem.

Writing in his Sun column, Redknapp then said: "About a year ago I needed to take heart pills and I am still taking them regularly... I am absolutely fine and have no worries about my health but this game can make the most mild-mannered of people explode as when you are sitting on the bench you get eaten up inside from first to last whistle."

On the stresses of management he added: "After a game I cannot sleep, there is too much going on in my head as I go over moves, think about game plans, think about which player has had a good or bad game - and it's worse if you lose."

Redknapp has been a big success since swapping Portsmouth for White Hart Lane in October 2008.

He earned the club qualification to the Champions League for the first time in their history in 2009 before taking Spurs to the quarter-finals of the competition last season.

The club missed out on qualifying for this year's Champions League, but currently look set to challenge for a top-four place after going on a seven-match unbeaten run which has taken them to fifth.

Redknapp's exploits at the north London club have made him the favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager when the Italian steps down next summer.

Redknapp is not the first football manager in recent times to have problems with his heart.

Gerard Houllier had to have an 11-hour emergency aortic dissection after experiencing heart problems at half-time during Liverpool's game against Leeds in 2001, and the Frenchman required a similar operation last season when in charge of Aston Villa.

The former Lyon manager, who like Redknapp is 64 years old, returned to manage Liverpool after five months out, but he did not take charge of another game at Villa following his most recent heart scare and left the midlands club in the summer.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had a pacemaker fitted in 2004, but was back at work the following day.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce underwent a heart procedure while in charge of Blackburn in 2009, and Joe Kinnear had a triple-heart bypass earlier in the same year while at Newcastle.