HARRY Redknapp faces a managerial challenge of a different kind at Grass Roots Football LIVE.

Fresh from lifting the FA Cup with Portsmouth and his team of multi-million pound stars at Wembley, Redknapp’s next task is to manage a group of hopefuls from the general public at Britain’s biggest football show at the NEC, Birmingham, from Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June.

Redknapp has agreed to manage two teams of amateur footballers to take on a squad of former Premier League stars managed by Stan Collymore.

The special five-a-side challenge matches in The Mars® Stadium at the NEC will be among the highlights of the Show.

Collymore’s team, entitled The Mavericks, will include Paul Merson, Ray Parlour, Steve Claridge, Neville Southall, Matt Elliott and Jamie Lawrence.

Villa Park, Birmingham: ASTON Villa defender Curtis Davies was today (Wednesday) unveiled as an official Ambassador for Grass Roots Football LIVE, which takes place on 30 May to 1 June at the NEC, Birmingham.

Davies (23) has shot to prominence with a series of assured performances for Villa following his move from Championship club West Bromwich Albion earlier this season, culminating in a call-up to a provisional full England squad named by Fabio Capello.

Yet it is only a few years ago that Davies himself was playing park football in London after he was released as a teenager by Wimbledon.

Davies will be the official Ambassador for The Academy Experience, run in association with The Premier League & The Football League. This is where young players will be put through their paces in a 15-minute training session run by Pro Club Academy coaches.

Stan Collymore will unveil football’s most charismatic five-a-side football squad at Grass Roots Football LIVE at the NEC, Birmingham.

The former Aston Villa and England star has signed up a star-studded squad of former professional players to form Stan Collymore & the Mavericks.

And the Mavericks will be taking on all-comers in a series of special matches as one of the highlights of Britain’s biggest football event, taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, from Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June.

Former Arsenal, Aston Villa and England star Paul Merson, and ex-Everton and Welsh international keeper Neville Southall are the first two new ‘signings’ unveiled for the squad.

Collymore, who will also be donning his boots for the Mavericks, said: “The Mavericks are a five-a-side football team with a cutting edge and a real difference.

“All our squad lived football to the full and we like to think of ourselves as real characters of the game.

“Paul was one of the game’s great entertainers and in Neville it truly could be said he was the world’s greatest goalkeeper of his generation.”

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was today (Tuesday) unveiled as an official Event Ambassador for Grass Roots Football LIVE.

Redknapp will be one of the leading European football figures at the three-day event, taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, on Friday 30th May to Sunday 1st June.

Redknapp will be appearing at the NEC on Saturday and Sunday and will undertake a series of coaching masterclasses, football seminars and question & answer sessions with the expected audience of 15,000 managers, coaches, players and officials.

A SERIES of leading football figures today (Tuesday) officially launched
Grass Roots Football LIVE at the NEC, Birmingham.

FA Director of Football Development Sir Trevor Brooking, former England national team manager Graham Taylor, former professional footballer Stan Collymore and Professional Football Coaches Association Chairman Dave Richardson were all present to unveil plans for Britain's leading national football show.