Harry Redknapp "agreed" Ukraine deal before joining Queens Park Rangers

Harry Redknapp has revealed that he was close to wrapping up a deal to become Ukraine's new manager before Queens Park Rangers swooped in for his signature.

The 66-year-old made a last-minute decision to replace Mark Hughes at Loftus Road, despite agreeing a contract with the Ukrainian national team.

"I was going to go [to Ukraine], I was going to take the job," London 24 quotes Redknapp as saying. "I agreed the deal and everything.

"I'm used to the Premier League. The other job didn't mean living in Ukraine, I would go over on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and keep your base at home. But what do you do from now until September? It's like being retired.

"It was hard. Financially it was fantastic as it was better than anything I could have got it in England. When QPR came up, I thought I'd give it a go but I knew it was a tough job."

Meanwhile, Redknapp has eight games to pull the R's from the bottom of the relegation zone to Premier League safety.