HARRY Redknapp thought he would be celebrating 1000 games as a manager when Portsmouth take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane tomorrow.

But he is too late. Pompey's own calculations reveal that the record compilers who had given the former Saints manager his information have missed out on a few games - and that Redknapp actually passed the landmark late last season.

Redknapp, who cut his teeth as a caretaker boss with Bournemouth 25 years ago, insisted: ''It is an honour to have joined great managers like Sir Alex (Ferguson) with this sort of landmark.

''There is some sort of confusion it seems. They had said it is 1000 games for me on Saturday and now I hear it is really about 1,030.

''But when I first took over at Bournemouth all those years ago after big David Webb left, I never thought I would get this far. No chance.

''I lost my first game 9-0 at Lincoln on a frozen pitch and they soon brought in somebody else!".

But less than a year later coach Redknapp was promoted to the hotseat again after Don Megson quit.

Bournemouth, then in the old Third Division, beat Manchester United in the FA Cup, won the now defunct Associate Members Cup and, in 1987, he was the first boss in their history to steer them to the next level.

His only trophy since is the First Division championship which earned Pompey promotion to the Premiership in 2003.

The 59-year-old will now be paid a fitting, if belated tribute next weekend against Charlton at Fratton Park by Portsmouth, who - either side of a spell at Saints - he has lifted from near the bottom of the old First Division to sixth in the Premiership.

In fact it was his spell at Pompey's south coast rivals which Redknapp called ''my most difficult time in the game".

''Looking back it was a crazy thing to do, walking out on Pompey and joining Saints, but at the time I still felt I had the right to work.

''It was a one-off. I had to change my phone numbers because of the abuse I was getting and I took a real gamble coming back but it was even more of a gamble for the chairman then (Milan Mandaric) to take me on again.

''Happily it is all working out well and no matter what you might read in some papers, the future is bright here.

''People said I would have retired if I hadn't come back but I had signed a contract with Southampton and would have seen it out.

''I still have no thoughts about calling it a day but when I do I will have marvellous memories of players I've signed like John Hartson and Paolo di Canio at West Ham, Paul Merson who was a massive signing here, and the football I've always wanted to play.

''The game has changed so much in my time. Players' wages for one thing. Mediocre players can earn fortunes now and that has made them much more difficult for managers to deal with.

''Taking West Ham to fifth place in the Premiership in 1999 was a big highlight but I had a very strong squad of players then. Here, we have been in the top six all season and it would be fantastic to finish there.

''If we did, and qualified for the UEFA Cup, it would eclipse by a long way what I achieved at West Ham because we've gone such a long way in such a short time - especially after dodging relegation last season".

Redknapp, who turns 60 in March, still has his eye on the future.

He knows Pompey's next five games - Middlesbrough, Wigan and Manchester City follow Sheffield United and Charlton - are key to cementing that top-six place.

And he will want to start doing just that by completing a league double - following a 3-1 home win last month - over the Blades, managed by Neil Warnock who at one time was favourite to take over at Pompey from sacked Frenchman Alain Perrin before Redknapp came back from St Mary's with grief from Saints fans ringing in his ears.

He joked: ''I still don't know why Neil, a very good manager who knows just what he's doing, didn't get the job here - maybe I was cheaper".