Kanu has role to play in Portsmouth - Redknapp

By Saliu Gbadamosi - 18.07.2008

Members of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria
2009 Local Organising Committee with
officials of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats
inside the ultra-modern Time Warner Cable
Arena in Charlotte, N.C. USA on their tour of
the facility. From left to right are: Seth
Bennett, Vice President, Experiential
Marketing for the Bobcats, who led the tour,
Mainasara Illo, Vice Chairman and CEO of the
LOC, Tonya Ellison, Director of Business
Development, The Event Authority, Amaju
Melvin Pinnick, Head Sub-Seat Warri, Eboni
Wilson, Guest Services Representative and
John Atale, Head of Protocol LOC. DESPITE the arrival of former
Liverpool striker and the danger posed by on-loan Chelsea player, Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp has assured Nigerian international, Nwankwo Kanu of being part of his (Redknapp) plan for next season.

Kanu is yet to sign a new deal with the Fratton Park side, though a year-deal has been placed before the Nigerian, based on the terms of his contract last season.

The contract Kanu signed last season stipulated that he would be offered an automatic one-year deal if he played up to a certain number of matches in the last season, which he did.

The Super Eagles captain has been demanding a new two-year deal instead of one-year deal he is being offer by Pompey considering his FA Cup heroic, though the forward had denied this. The controversy surrounding his signing a new deal notwithstanding, Redknapp insists that the Nigerian will feature in his plan next season, moreso that Portsmouth will be playing in the UEFA Cup next season.

Speaking on the Nigerian contract saga, Redknapp told The News of Portsmouth that Kanu would eventually sign the new deal before him, insisting that he wanted to keep the former Arsenal player at Fratton Park as he had a part to play in Portsmouth campaign.

"Peter's (Storrie) sorting it out. As far as I know, he's going to sign for another year and I want to keep him here. "He's a good player, he's still got a part to play and gives you something different," Redknapp told The News.

Kanu has been a hit for the Redknapp side since his move from West Brom two seasons ago, scoring 14 times in 15 league starts. His all-important FA Cup goal against Cardiff City at the Wembley Stadium in May gave Portsmouth its first continental slot in 69 years, apart from scoring the lone goal in the semi-final which earned the club the historic Wembley visit.