Portsmouth fans will remember Harry Redknapp and Nwankwo Kanu for their FA Cup victory in 2008, which was a watershed moment in the club’s history.

It was a watershed moment in the club’s contemporary history, and Portsmouth’s pinnacle in recent decades, despite being relegated to League Two shortly after. Despite the availability of elite teams in the competition, Redknapp had them combining resilience and flair.

Kanu was at the heart of the campaign, and his experience from two wins with Arsenal proved important, as did his composure and strength in front of goal. Kanu scored the winning goal in the final against Cardiff City, easily scoring from close range to secure a 1-0 victory at Wembley.

In many respects, Redknapp’s pragmatic management matched defensive strength with attacking efficiency, enabling Portsmouth to defeat even the competition’s strongest opponents. The triumph not only brought Kanu trophy, but it also solidified his legacy at the club, symbolizing faith in the magic of the FA Cup.

Harry Redknapp recounts how he and Tony Adams signed Nwankwo Kanu for Portsmouth.

There, Redknapp highlighted Portsmouth’s triumph and explained how he came to sign Kanu to help them win.

He said, “Oh, Ash [Cole], it was a fantastic day for us, you know?” And that was great because it took me back to the beginning of the season. We’re looking for—I’ve never had a striker. I don’t have a frontman available for the season’s first game, at home against Blackburn.

“No one.”Right, [Svetoslav] Todorov, who plays for Yak—Yakubu was hurt. They suggested that Todorov may play. So, I’m looking at the old Rothman books with Tony Adams, correct? Me and Tony. We’ve got to locate a striker. Tone, where will we get someone? I said, “I’ve got one.”Kanu. He said, ‘Harry, he’s 47. He’s knackered. He stated he’d had enough. He stated that he had been an excellent player.

He stated that he must be 40 years old today. I answered, “Well, he did well at West Brom last year.”‘ “I said I saw him a couple of times and that they’d gone down.”They have let him go. I responded he still looked fine. He replied, ‘No, do me a favor’. Anyway, we searched all day and couldn’t find one. That night, I said, ‘I’ll grab his number and call him up, Kanu, it’s Harry Redknapp.

Are you planning to play this year?”He stated, “I want to play gaffer.” I don’t have a team. I asked, “Well, do you want to come to Portsmouth?” He responded, ‘I’d come to Portsmouth. “I would love to.”I said, “Alright, come down tonight.” Stay. We’ve scheduled you.

I received the secretary. He had booked him into a little motel near the training grounds. The next morning, he entered. I said, “Come down, get a medical, talk to your agent, bring your agent, and we’ll get it sorted.”

Portsmouth fans will remember Harry Redknapp and Nwankwo Kanu for their FA Cup victory in 2008, which was a watershed moment in the club’s history.

It was a watershed moment in the club’s contemporary history, and Portsmouth’s pinnacle in recent decades, despite being relegated to League Two shortly after. Despite the availability of elite teams in the competition, Redknapp had them combining resilience and flair.

Kanu was at the heart of the campaign, and his experience from two wins with Arsenal proved important, as did his composure and strength in front of goal. Kanu scored the winning goal in the final against Cardiff City, easily scoring from close range to secure a 1-0 victory at Wembley.

In many respects, Redknapp’s pragmatic management matched defensive strength with attacking efficiency, enabling Portsmouth to defeat even the competition’s strongest opponents. The triumph not only brought Kanu trophy, but it also solidified his legacy at the club, symbolizing faith in the magic of the FA Cup.

In his book Could It Be Magic: The Good, The Bad, and The Football, Harry Redknapp discusses how he and Tony Adams signed Nwankwo Kanu at Portsmouth.

Could It Be Magic? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is brought to you by Carling, the official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. The show is available on YouTube and Spotify, as well as wherever podcasts are distributed.

Link: https://youtu.be/gY_600yXOm4 Redknapp has described Portsmouth’s achievement and provided information on how he came to sign Kanu to help them win.

He said, “Oh, Ash [Cole], it was a fantastic day for us, you know?” And that was great because it took me back to the beginning of the season. We’re looking for—I’ve never had a striker. I don’t have a frontman available for the season’s first game, at home against Blackburn.

“No one.”Right, [Svetoslav] Todorov, who plays for Yak—Yakubu was hurt. They suggested that Todorov may play. So, I’m looking at the old Rothman books with Tony Adams, correct? Me and Tony. We’ve got to locate a striker. Tone, where will we get someone? I said, “I’ve got one.”Kanu. He said, ‘Harry, he’s 47. He’s knackered. He stated he’d had enough. He stated that he had been an excellent player.

He stated that he must be 40 years old today. I answered, “Well, he did well at West Brom last year.”‘ “I said I saw him a couple of times and that they’d gone down.”They have let him go. I responded he still looked fine. He replied, ‘No, do me a favor’. Anyway, we searched all day and couldn’t find one. That night, I said, ‘I’ll grab his number and call him up, Kanu, it’s Harry Redknapp.

Are you planning to play this year?”He stated, “I want to play gaffer.” I don’t have a team. I asked, “Well, do you want to come to Portsmouth?” He responded, ‘I’d come to Portsmouth. “I would love to.”I said, “Alright, come down tonight.” Stay. We’ve scheduled you.

I received the secretary. He had booked him into a little motel near the training grounds. The next morning, he entered. I said, “Come down, get a medical, talk to your agent, bring your agent, and we’ll get it sorted.”

What do you recall about Nwankwo Kanu at Portsmouth? Leave a comment below.So when he arrived the next day, Tony begged, ‘Harry, please don’t tell me you. You cannot sign him. He has had it. I promise you, he’s finished. Now I’m becoming nervous. We had a reserve game that afternoon.

“So, I’ll play him in that.”I told Kanu, ‘Look, there’s been a medical delay. But we have a reserve game this afternoon. I need you on Saturday, next Saturday, against Blackburn. I only want you to play for fitness. I figured if he’s no good and Tony’s right, I’d flunk him on his physical. Assume he has an issue with his knee.Right. It’s easy. I’ll get the doctor to declare your knee is a little problematic.Sorry, mate. We can’t pass you up.

We went to a reserve game, and he scored two goals. I’ve never seen two goals like that. That was ridiculous. Ridiculous. Flicking it over one guy and then another. “Could he play?”So he scores two goals. I said, ‘Tony, I’m signing him.

He went out: ‘I know he’s played 60. I know he’s done okay. Anyway, I signed him. In his first game, he scored twice. We play Blackburn at home, and we are 1-0 ahead at halftime. I brought him on at halftime.

“Todorov can only play [45].”Comes on at halftime. Kanu scored two goals in the second half but misses a penalty to complete his hat-trick. We’re going to Middlesborough on Tuesday night. He receives another two.

Now he has four goals in his first two games. He scored in the cup semifinals. The team won 1-0, and the player scored the only goal in the final.And he was still playing around five years later. Tony reckoned it made him 52.

Harry Redknapp discloses what Nwankwo Kanu did while at Portsmouth

“On Sunday nights, my phone would ring at half past or quarter past eleven. He knows I am in bed, doesn’t he? Look, gaffer, it’s Kanu. I have an uneasy stomach. “I can’t come to training tomorrow,” Redknapp says.Monday. He did not want to come in on Mondays for a warm-down from wherever he resided in London. Do you know?And I said, ‘Listen, King, don’t keep calling me on Sunday. Please do not come in on Mondays. I will see you Tuesday. Wasn’t he a genius? Didn’t he have any skill? He was a fantastic lad. “What a player!”

Kanu played 166 appearances for Portsmouth and scored or assisted 42 goals, but he was more than just a striker. That is why Redknapp and Portsmouth fans adore him to this day.