I apologised to Harry Redknapp after telling him I’d never play for Tottenham again – it was my biggest mistake
HEURELHO GOMES admits he APOLOGISED to Harry Redknapp after telling the ex-Tottenham boss “I don’t want to play for you anymore.”
Gomes, 42, spent six seasons at Spurs between 2008 and 2014.
He went on to play 130 times for the Londoners as they became a force in the Champions League.
But Gomes failed to make one single Premier League appearance during his final three years at the club.
Having seen out the 2010/11 campaign as Spurs’ No1, Gomes found himself relegated to the bench for the start of the following season.
Redknapp decided to make new signing Brad Friedel his first-choice instead.
And Gomes had to settle for a handful of appearances in the Carabao Cup and Europe before things came to a head.
The Brazilian saw red after being left out against QPR, with Friedel going on to have a poor outing.
Redknapp approached Gomes afterwards to apologise for leaving him out.
But the stopper was unhappy and said he did not want to play under Redknapp ever again.
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
Gomes got his wish as Spurs sacked their managed in June 2012.
However, he never featured for the Londoners again under Redknapp’s successors Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood.
Gomes went on to have a loan spell at Hoffenheim before ending his career at Watford.
And the 11-time Brazil international admits hugely regretting his outburst at Redknapp, calling it his “biggest mistake in football.”
Gomes told talkSPORT: “I was with him in a charity game and I apologised to him because he put me on the bench (at Spurs).
“One day he says ‘come here big man, I want to talk to you’. Brad Friedel played against QPR and he didn’t have a good game.
“He (Redknapp) came to me the day after and said ‘I realise now you’re the best goalkeeper at the club’.
“I was upset with him of course. I said to Harry ‘I don’t want to play for you anymore’.
“My biggest mistake in football was that. He’d dropped me before and he was going to give me another chance.
“I said that to him. I then went to a charity game another day and he was there. I came to him and said ‘I want to apologise because I did that in that time. Forgive me please’.
“Sometimes you speak before you think and I didn’t think about that.
“I never played again, that was the last time I played. I regret that. Harry is a great man. That’s why I wanted to go to him and apologise.”
TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest transfer deals from around the world this January