Redknapp was one of five men arrested by the City of London force on Wednesday - along with club chief executive Peter Storrie, former chairman Milan Mandaric, former player Amdy Faye and agent Willie McKay - as part of their investigation into allegations of corruption in the game.

The men were arrested on suspicion of false accounting and conspiracy to defraud but Redknapp today distanced himself from the investigation and hit out at how the police had handled his arrest and their search of his home in Dorset.

His biggest concern was the destructive effect it had on his wife Sandra who was left "petrified and hysterical" by what he clearly considered heavy-handed tactics from the police, and Redknapp was left "bitterly disappointed" by the whole episode.

"I still feel I was only called in because I have a high profile. I add a bit of a profile to the investigation," Redknapp said at a press conference today.

"But this is nothing whatsoever to do with me, although if they had asked me quietly to pop round and answer a few questions I would have done it.

"What an agent does with his player has nothing to do with me but I would have helped if they thought I could."

Redknapp had been in Germany on Tuesday night watching Stuttgart play Rangers in the Champions League.

He said: "I had my wife on the phone leaving hysterical messages that the police had been round.

"They also raided Peter Storrie and Milan Mandaric. They took a computer away from my house which I bought my wife two years ago and which, a few weeks ago, we learned how to switch on. I then got a message to report to Chichester Police Station where I spent a good part of the day.

"The whole crux of the meeting was the fact that an agent had been paid an agent's fee and had paid some of the money to the player. That was the top and bottom of the issue, the player and the football agent.

"But I was wondering what I was doing there - I'm not involved in what an agent and a player does. I'm not involved."

The police investigation is believed to centre on Faye's transfer from Auxerre to Portsmouth in 2003. All except Senegalese midfielder Faye, now on loan at Rangers from Charlton, have been given police bail and told they do not have to report back to the authorities until February, and no charges have been laid.

It is Redknapp's normal practice whenever quizzed by the media over transfers, contracts and transfer fees to refer them to Storrie, who is responsible for the real wheeling and dealing at Fratton Park - just as he was in the pair's time together at West Ham.

Redknapp was infuriated, too, about the treatment meted out to Pompey's chief executive.

He said: "You will not meet a straighter man than Peter in football. He is an honest man with great integrity and did not deserve this.

"I was particularly disappointed that the police should come knocking on my door along with photographers.

"She (Sandra) was absolutely petrified and if that's the way to treat someone then that is not the world I was brought up in.

"It was a bitter disappointment for me and my family, we were deeply hurt by the situation. Why it had to be brought into the public domain when I wasn't involved in any part of it I don't know."

Redknapp revealed he has been receiving goodwill messages from many players and top managers and added that he just wanted to concentrate on Pompey's "massive" match at home to Everton on Saturday.

He said: "Portsmouth is a well-run club from top to bottom. We are now playing our best football in the past 50 years and we just want to get on with that.

"I brought all the players in and explained to them just what has gone on over the past few days and ignore it."