Harry Redknapp is recognized as one of Portsmouth’s finest modern-day managers, because to the success he brought to Fratton Park during his two terms in charge.

He has divided views among some fans, as his tenure were sandwiched between stints at Pompey’s close rivals, Southampton. Despite this, the 79-year-old remains a respected figure within the club because of what he oversaw.

In his first few years, he won the club’s promotion to the top flight for the first time since the 1987/88 season and the first time in the Premier League era, and in his second spell, he led Pompey to consecutive top-half finishes and the FA Cup in 2008, defeating Cardiff City in the final.

Some of the squads he assembled at Fratton Park were loaded with exciting, entertaining players who appeared to be respected not only by the fans, but also by Redknapp himself.

But midfielder Sean Davis recently admitted that, in his opinion, that was far from the truth.

Sean Davis talks up about his friendship with Harry Redknapp.

Davis recently spoke on the Under the Cost podcast, where he expressed his concerns about working under Harry Redknapp.

The former midfielder joined Portsmouth in January 2006 as part of a three-way trade with Tottenham Hotspur, which also included Pedro Mendes and Noe Pamarot.

Despite playing consistently under the great boss, Davis was dissatisfied with his off-field treatment.To be honest, I did not like him at all. I did not like anything about him. His voice, face, and training sessions. “His voice went straight through me,” he remarked.Pedro, Noa, and I were doing this drill. We’d be in a line, and you’d set it, ping a ball across, and rotate positions to get a chance at goal.Pedro’s pinged this ball, knee-high, Steven Gerrard-like, and Redknapp saw it, looked at me and Noa standing there, and said, ‘Pedro, you’re the best signing I’ve ever made,’ and he started staring at me and Noa, he signed us all together, and we just started cracking up, and he was furious. “He went bright red, and he did small things like that all the time.”Sometimes I’d stroll in with the racing poles, hoping he’d say hello, but he probably thought, “It’s him, I’m not going to say anything.”But then Richard Hughes would stroll along and say, ‘Oh, Richie…'”

Sean Davis’ admission may come as a surprise, given his role in Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth team.

Sean Davis made 116 appearances during his three-and-a-half-year career at Fratton Park, the majority of which came under Harry Redknapp.

He would start all but one of Pompey’s remaining Premier League games in the 2005/06 season after joining in January, playing an important role in the club’s fight against relegation. In his first full season, he started 29 of 38 top-flight games and finished ninth.

The 2007/08 season was more stop-start, and he played little role in their FA Cup victory, but 18 of his 22 league matches came from the start. Just months later, Redknapp left for Tottenham.

So, despite Davis’ conviction that Harry Redknapp believed he was, for lack of a better word, poor at football, he was a fixture in the squad and performed admirably for his boss.

Pompey has not achieved the heights they did in the mid-2000s in nearly two decades. Regardless of how the two felt about each other, they were both substantially involved in memories that Fratton Park residents hold in high respect today.