Harry Redknapp went to extremes in the summer of 2003 to sign Amdy Faye. To capture Faye’s signature, he captured the player. But then there was fierce competition for the man dubbed “the next Patrick Vieira”.

Born in Dakar, Faye was on AS Monaco’s books before moving to Auxerre. By the end of his second season he was in the Senegal squad for the 2002 World Cup finals, although he did not play in the famous win over France. Still, Faye attracted admirers.

In the summer of 2003, seven top-flight English clubs were linked with Faye. Reports surfaced that Redknapp was interested in taking him to newly promoted Portsmouth. “He is a player I have been looking at for some time,” Redknapp said. “He’s a very intelligent player and a good passer, who will be a big asset.” Faye agreed a three-year deal and Auxerre received a transfer fee of about £1.5 million.

Shortly after Faye signed, the Daily Mirror lauded Redknapp as “undisputed king of the transfer sting”. The manager played Faye in a midweek preseason match away to Kilmarnock under the pseudonym “Andy Henry” to trick scouts from other clubs – which was an offence under FA rules.

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The fact that the police are carrying out the investigation raises the issue of whether the football authorities are equipped properly to regulate the game

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BACKGROUND

• Police arrest Redknapp over dealings

• Whispers will not go away for wheeler-dealer

• Newell left on a road to nowhere

• Mandaric will ''offer full support' to police

BACKGROUND

• Fans’ chants for Mandaric silenced

• Former bookie who knew value of being the middleman

• Faye gets caught in Redknapp’s net

• Old pals that survived Upton Park fallout

BACKGROUND

• Police moves highlight FA resources shortfall

• How events unfolded

A couple of days later, Redknapp received a call saying that Faye had left his hotel in Portsmouth and was on his way to Heathrow to fly to Paris. Redknapp rushed to the airport. “I go and find him, capture him,” Redknapp said. “I bundle him into the car back to my home in Bournemouth. Get him in the house and we’ve got two bulldogs. I said, ‘Amdy, if you escape, these dogs, one of them will bite your legs, the other bites your b*****ks.’ ” He stayed the night and the deal was done the next day.

Faye impressed but damaged a knee in the autumn, keeping him out for months. Still other clubs came in for him that summer. A move to Fulham did not materialise because Faye picked up another knee injury.

By January 2005, Redknapp was Southampton manager and after 52 appearances for Portsmouth, Faye was agitating. “We are under pressure to sell Faye, both from Newcastle manager Graeme Souness and the player himself,” Milan Mandaric, the Portsmouth chairman at the time, said. The midfield player got his move, Newcastle United paying a transfer fee of £2 million. It was this deal that would attract the attention of the Stevens inquiry.

Faye moved on to Charlton Athletic for £2 million in August 2006. He was a regular as Charlton were relegated to the Coca-Cola Championship. After only one appearance in the Championship this season, he joined Rangers on a surprise season-long loan at the end of August but has made only five appearances, and has not played since October 28.