Harry Redknapp has admitted he never expected Benjani Mwaruwari to be a prolific goalscorer in the Premier League.
Redknapp pays tribute to hat-trick hero
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has admitted he never expected Benjani Mwaruwari to be a prolific goalscorer in the Premier League.
Benjani took his tally for the season to five with a hat-trick in Portsmouth's incredible 7-4 victory over Reading on Saturday.
Redknapp was delighted for the Zimbabwe international, who he feels has worked tirelessly for the team since joining the club in January 2006.
"I never thought he would score a lot of goals," said Redknapp. "I would be a liar if I sat here and said I thought he would.
"He is not a massive scorer but he works and doesn't give defenders any rest.
"He makes goals as well and that's why it was lovely to see him weigh in with three. He has got five now, which is great for him."
Redknapp concedes that he now has a selection dilemma ahead of next week, as Benjani only played because Kanu had suffered a knee injury.
He said: "Kanu would have played if he had been fit to be perfectly truthful. He has led the line superbly for us this season."
System failure
Redknapp was especially surprised by the goal-fest at Fratton Park because he had opted to play with five in midfield.
"My decision was whether to switch to 4-4-2 or stay with the 4-5-1, which is a system that keeps the game tight," he explained.
"You get chances but it is more likely to be a 1-0 game like at Blackburn last week.
"When we went 2-0 up I thought 'with this system I can't see them scoring' - but we ended up with 11 goals."
