Harry Redknapp was already living every husband’s worst nightmare when the phone call came that turned it into pure hell.

At 3.17am yesterday, the football icon, 78, was pacing the corridors of Bournemouth Hospital after his wife of 58 years, Sandra, 75, was rushed in fighting for breath with suspected pneumonia. The devoted pair had barely settled into her side-room when Harry’s mobile buzzed with a number he didn’t recognise. Expecting an update from the medical team, he stepped out to answer – only to be hit with news that would shatter any man.

On the other end was a Dorset fire officer delivering the gut-wrenching truth: the Redknapps’ stunning seven-bedroom clifftop mansion in millionaire’s row Sandbanks – the home they have shared for three decades – was ablaze and “almost certainly a total loss”. Neighbours described seeing “flames shooting 50ft into the sky” as the inferno ripped through the £7million property, destroying Harry’s priceless collection of vintage Ferraris, the indoor swimming pool he built for Sandra’s 50th, and every family photograph, trophy and memory the couple had collected since they were teenage sweethearts.

Yet in a moment of unimaginable selflessness that has left even his closest friends in tears, the former West Ham, Portsmouth and Spurs boss made a decision that speaks volumes about his love for Sandra. He simply slipped the phone back into his pocket, walked back into her side-room and smiled.

“Everything’s fine, babe,” he told her, squeezing her hand as the machines beeped around them. “Just rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

He has kept up the pretence for more than 36 hours now, and it’s a secret that’s weighing heavily on everyone who knows the couple. Doctors have warned that any further stress could prove fatal to the grandmother-of-eight, who has battled sepsis, arthritis and a catalogue of health woes in recent years. So Harry, the cheeky chappie who accidentally ran over his wife’s ankles in 2016 and once smuggled a dog through customs in a crate, has banned all visitors from mentioning the blaze, asked son Jamie to quietly remove their dogs Lulu and Barney before Sandra sees the news, and even instructed staff to keep televisions switched off in her ward.

One hospital source told the Mail: “He sits there holding her hand telling her stories about when they were 17 and skint, living on chips and love. He makes her laugh until she coughs, then looks like he’s committed a crime. I’ve never seen devotion like it.”

Another pal added: “Harry’s always said Sandra is his absolute world. He told the boys, ‘Your mum’s fought for me a thousand times – now it’s my turn.’ He’s carrying the weight of the world so she doesn’t have to.”

This heartbreaking act of protection comes after a night of sheer terror that unfolded in the early hours. The alarm was raised at 2.41am when neighbours spotted flames pouring from the garage where Harry keeps his beloved classic cars – including a Ferrari 250 GT he bought after Portsmouth’s 2008 FA Cup win. Within minutes the fire had spread to the main house, engulfing the open-plan living room where Harry and Sandra renewed their vows on live television in 2017, surrounded by their grandchildren.

Six fire engines and 40 firefighters battled the blaze for six hours, but by dawn the roof had collapsed into the indoor pool, the cinema room was a blackened shell, and the master bedroom – where Sandra keeps her treasured wedding album – was “completely destroyed”. Early indications suggest an electrical fault in one of the vintage cars may be to blame, leaving investigators to sift through the ashes for answers.

As the smoke cleared over Sandbanks, the news began to spread – and the outpouring of love from across the football world has been nothing short of overwhelming. Louise Redknapp, Harry’s daughter-in-law, was first to break the news publicly, posting a haunting image of the charred remains with the caption: “Please send love to Uncle H and Auntie San. They’ve lost everything except each other.”

The post has been liked more than 1.2million times, sparking a wave of support that shows just how much Harry and Sandra mean to fans everywhere. Frank Lampard, Harry’s nephew, wrote: “Uncle Harry is the strongest man I know, but even he can’t take much more of this.” Rio Ferdinand shared a throwback photo of Harry and Sandra at his wedding, adding: “Love you both. Here for whatever you need.”

Even Tottenham fans – who still haven’t forgiven Harry for walking out in 2012 – flooded social media with messages of support. West Ham players will wear “Redknapp 78” armbands this weekend, while Portsmouth supporters have started a chant that ends “Harry and Sandra – Pompey forever”. A GoFundMe set up by fans had raised £1.1million by Tuesday night, prompting an emotional Harry to release a 12-second video from the hospital corridor: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, but please give the money to Great Ormond Street or the air ambulance. Me and San have still got each other. That’s all we need.”

He didn’t mention the house. He still hasn’t – and that’s the real measure of the man.

This latest tragedy is just the most recent chapter in a love story that has captivated the nation for decades. Harry and Sandra met at the Two Puddings disco in Stratford, east London, in 1967 when they were both 15. He was a skinny apprentice footballer; she was the prettiest girl in the room. They married a year later – Sandra wearing a £12 dress from C&A – and have been inseparable ever since.

Harry famously said the only thing he would have been if football hadn’t worked out was “Sandra’s husband”. In 2018 he broke down live on I’m a Celebrity talking about the 2016 accident when he accidentally ran over her ankles, dragging her 20 yards down the road. He wept again when she battled sepsis that same year, telling the nation: “I love her to bits. I can’t imagine life without her.”

Now, as Sandra remains in a serious but stable condition, doctors say the next 48 hours are critical. Harry has already instructed his team to find a rental property within five minutes of the hospital so Sandra can recuperate without knowing the full extent of the disaster. Son Jamie, 52, has been spotted removing personal items from the wreckage, while Mark, 54, has been a constant presence at his father’s side.

As one family friend told the Mail last night: “Harry’s lost his home, his cars, his memories – everything except the one thing that matters. He’ll rebuild the house. He’ll buy new cars. But there’s only one Sandra. And right now, keeping her alive is the only trophy he cares about.”

Get well soon, Sandra. Britain is rooting for you both.