HARRY REDKNAPP took over as manager of Portsmouth yesterday but admitted he could have been in charge of Southampton.

Saints chairman Rupert Lowe met with Redknapp last summer to discuss the vacant manager's post at St Mary's but instead handed the role to Stuart Gray while Milan Mandaric snapped up Redknapp to be his director of football.

Gray was eventually replaced by Gordon Strachan while, following an uneasy season at Fratton Park, Redknapp - Mandaric's fifth boss in three years - yesterday succeeded Graham Rix who was sacked just over a year after taking charge.

But Redknapp, the former Bournemouth and West Ham boss, admitted: "I could have been at Southampton. Rupert Lowe spoke to me in the summer and I had a meeting with him, but he's got an excellent manager now in Gordon Strachan.

"He's an experienced man who has managed in the Premier League and hopefully I can get Portsmouth a little bit closer to Southampton now - that's what we want to do."

He added: "I didn't wait around for Southampton's decision.

"It was between me and Stuart Gray but Milan offered me a job here and I took it.

"It has been a difficult job and I can't say I've enjoyed it. It's been an easy job but I felt like a fish out of water.

" I don't know how many managers want directors of football around them.

"I certainly wouldn't want one so I could understand Graham not being happy with that situation, but I never interfered with what he did or went on the training ground and allowed him to get on and manage.

"After the Leyton Orient cup defeat I was the one who met with Graham and his agent and pleaded with Milan to give him more time. But Milan made up his mind he wanted a change and I was the only person he wanted to take over.

"I have accepted the challenge, I'm proud to be manager of Portsmouth.

"They have great fans and it is a club with terrific potential, but sooner or later the potential has to be realised because there has been something wrong here for too many years if they keep finishing in the bottom half of the division.

"I'm not making any promises but I'll give it my best crack."

Mandaric, who summoned Rix yesterday morning to tell him he was sacked, commented: "This has been a difficult season that did not meet the expectations that I had, and I am quite sure that most of our supporters had.

"I think I was patient and wanted Graham to be successful and gave him time.

"I can't correct the past, but let's hope I can influence the future and, with something like this, I expect it to be much brighter."