Premier chance is worth all the TEA IN CHINA

HODGSON SNUBBED MASSIVE CHINESE OFFERS TO PROVE HIMSELF IN ENGLAND

ROY HODGSON turned down two huge offers from China because he always believed he would get the chance to prove himself again in English football.

Hodgson, 70, now has that chance with Crystal Palace after being parachuted in on a two-year deal to save the struggling south London club.

The former England boss revealed he did not want to appear to be waiting to step into “dead men’s shoes”, but craved the chance to work again since his demise at Euro 2016.

His representatives got two huge offers from the Chinese Super League – one worth £8million a year – while Hodgson has also done conferences, coaching forums and TV work.

Talking back in July, he revealed his desperation to work again, while also not appearing to be too eager to jump in just because another boss had got the sack after “losing two games”. It proved to be strangely prophetic for Frank de Boer. Hodgson said: “I think that if you say you want to get back but only in the Premier League, then you are just looking for dead men’s shoes as well which isn’t a very pleasant situation.

“Most get the job because some poor devil has lost two in a row, perhaps through no fault of his own. Then you’re thrown in to get them to win two or three games in a row.

“In my opinion, football and coaching does not work like that, it’s a longer-term process and a process that comes about through your interaction with players that you are working with.

“Coaches have a certain importance, but all you can do is try to get the best out of the players that you’ve got.

“If the ones you have got are not good enough to do the job, you will be struggling.”

Hodgson will bring Ray Lewington with him into the Palace job, and he said being out of work since quitting England following the disastrous Iceland loss has left him hungry.

Now, he is about to find out whether Palace were the right choice or not.