Redknapp claims he overpaid his taxes

"I have always paid my taxes. I've always gone to the best available people," Redknapp told Southwark Crown Court as he began giving evidence in his trial for allegedly cheating the tax authorities.

"I have always paid too much tax rather than not enough," he added, Britain's Press Association reported.

Redknapp later shouted at a City of London police detective for "staring" during heated scenes in court.

Redknapp held his hands up and looked around at Detective Inspector Dave Manley midway through questioning.

"Mr Manley, will you please stop staring at me. I know you are trying to cause me a problem, OK," Redknapp said, before turning to judge Anthony Leonard to apologise for the interruption.

Redknapp denies two counts of cheating the public revenue in relation to alleged payments totalling $295,000 from Milan Mandaric dating back to their time at Portsmouth.

Redknapp managed Portsmouth from 2002 to 2004 and then from 2005 to 2008 before moving to Tottenham. Serb Mandaric was his chairman and is now in the same role at Sheffield Wednesday.

Redknapp told the court his only previous charge was for speeding.

He confirmed he had received a 300,000-pound gift from West Ham United for the sale of Rio Ferdinand to Leeds United when he managed the club in 2000.

Redknapp, wearing a blue suit with black sweater, said West Ham told him he had done "fantastic."

"The club was not contractually obligated to pay that money I suppose," he said.

The prosecution alleged earlier that the multimillionaire football manager was sent bungs into his Monaco bank account because he was "greedy."

In heated exchanges with Mandaric, prosecution lawyer John Black said the tax dodge was "all about Mr Redknapp and he was greedy and wanted more money."

The lawyer asked Mandaric: "That's the truth isn't it?" Mandaric, standing in the witness box, replied: "Absolutely not true."