Adams named new Portsmouth boss

Tony Adams has been confirmed as the new manager of Portsmouth following the departure of Harry Redknapp.

"I'm very honoured, it's a great opportunity," he said. "I would have been mad to turn it down."

And the 42-year-old vowed to do everything in his power to keep first-team coach Jordan at the club.

"Joe is Portsmouth through and through, he's part of the woodwork," said Adams. "But he's a big man and will make his own decision."

He refused to comment on reports linking his former Arsenal team-mate Martin Keown with the assistant manager's position but added: "I'm going to take my time. I've got Joe and Paul Groves [reserve-team coach]."

Adams took charge of the team alongside Jordan for Sunday's 1-1 draw with Fulham following Redknapp's move to White Hart Lane.

The former Arsenal and England defender was named as Redknapp's number two in 2006, after an ill-fated spell in charge of Wycombe and coaching jobs in the Netherlands with Feyenoord and Utrecht.

"We've got some great players here at Portsmouth and I've been kind of responsible, with Harry, for bringing them to the club," said Adams.

"It is a risk because Harry's done a fantastic job for this club and he is a hard act to follow. But I think it is my time, I think I am ready."

I'm scared to bits but another bit of me is really excited - it's like Christmas, it's the best job in the world, I couldn't sleep last night Portsmouth manager Tony Adams

Former Bolton and Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce and ex-Chelsea manager Avram Grant, who worked as technical director at Fratton Park in 2006, were reportedly among the favourites to take over from Redknapp.

But Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie insisted Adams was the best man for the job.

"Right from the beginning I liked the idea of continuity," said Storrie. "Although Harry was the manager it was always about three or four of the coaches working together.

"The right and correct thing was to see who else was available but I couldn't see anything better than Tony and that's why we decided he was the man to go for.

"We hope Tony will be here for as long as he wants to be here. He's an icon in the game of football. We will give him all the support we can and we hope he will do a great job."

Storrie had said on Sunday that the south-coast club would take their time in finding a new manager, but revealed that the "huge, huge shock" of Redknapp's departure made a quick appointment imperative.

Adams begins his reign as Portsmouth boss with a trip to league leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday.

Speculation linking a number of Portsmouth players with moves to Tottenham in January has already begun, but Adams says he will fight to keep hold of the those he wants to remain at Fratton Park.

"They're here because they're good players and other clubs will be interested in good players," he said. "But my job is to keep them here and to get them to play well.

"At the moment they're responding well - they might not like me but at the moment it's going well.

Adams rejected the suggestion that he had been affected by his disappointing experience at Wycombe, where he won only 12 of his 53 games in charge, losing 20.

"I'm one of those annoying people who gets back up. I didn't know what way it's going to go but sooner or later I was going to get an opportunity to manage a very good team.

"At Wycombe my job was to save the club - they were losing £6,000 a week at the time but this is a different ball game.

"This is the next step for me. It's like Christmas. It's the best job in the world. I'm scared to bits, of course, but another bit of me is really excited. I couldn't sleep last night.

"I would have been gutted not to get the job but thanks to them [Storrie and Portsmouth owner Alexandre Gaydamak] for having the courage to put me in place.

"Harry is a tough man to follow and sometimes it [a number two becoming a number one] doesn't work.

"But I think this is my time. I've got great support from the owner, Peter, the fans, my wife, my family and the players. It gives me fantastic optimism that it will be OK."

Storrie reiterated that the club was not faced with financial problems: "The club is fine, we're moving on, the owner is here and he continues to put money into the club."