THE PETER PAN OF MANAGERS
Evergreen Hodgson, 72, set for Palace extension
ROY HODGSON celebrates his second anniversary at Crystal Palace today – and is ready to talk about extending his stay at his boyhood club.
The former England boss, 72, said: “I’m as fit as I’ve been for the past 20 years.”
Hodgson took over at Selhurst Park in September 2017 after Frank De Boer’s team had lost their first four league matches without scoring.
On Saturday, his Eagles travel to White Hart Lane in fourth place and the top team in London.
“It has been a very good two years, I’ve enjoyed it more than I thought I would,” said the top flight’s most senior boss.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent certain I necessarily wanted to come back into full-time football. But Palace have always been the club of my heart and the heart of my father.”
After four years of national service as England manager and a year of part-time consultancy – both “a relatively solitary existence” – Hodgson has relished his day-to-day return to the training pitch.
He signed a two-year extension in August 2018 and will talk about another with chairman Steve Parish.
“We have put down a date next week where he wants to sit down and talk, not just about my contract but about the future of the club,” said Hodgson.
“Canvas some of my opinions on that subject as well. I will wait and see what he has got to say and I shall make up my mind on any proposal if there are any after that.
“If they are keen on me staying, I don’t think it will be a major problem but I am also fairly sanguine about that as well.
“It has been a long career and one day the curtain will come down on it. I don’t fear that curtain coming down but, on the other hand, I have got no desire to pull the cord either.
“If I wasn’t working as I am working I’d miss it – there’s no question of that. You don’t rush in to put an end to something you’re going to miss.”
But Hodgson is not taken by “the romantic notion” that Palace will definitely be his final job. “I thought working with England would be a nice way to end my career as well,” he said. “Time has to tell you those things, I don’t think you have to set dates. I have felt a lot older in the past than I do now.
“Certain jobs, I have actually felt older, wearier, wondering how much longer I can keep going. I don’t have those thoughts at the moment.
“I’m as fit as I have been for the past 20 years anyway and mentally I’m alert and prone to get as much excitement and enjoyment from the job as I have ever done. Right now is a good moment in my life working here. One should just keep going and let time take its course.
“If I was going to leave any legacy at the club it would hopefully be: while he was here the club played properly, the club did their very best to get results but most importantly of all the club were every bit as strong – if not stronger – when he left as when he came. That would be my goal.”