Hodgson: ''I have never really felt old enough to retire''

Roy Hodgson said that coming out of retirement to return to Crystal Palace “wasn't a difficult decision to make” ahead of this weekend’s game against Leicester City.

Talking ahead of Saturday’s game, the 75-year-old manager expanded on his decision to come out of retirement and oversee Palace’s final ten games.

"[the offer] came as a big surprise, of course,” Hodgson said, “It was a pleasant surprise, in a way, but one is never pleased to take over a job when someone has had to leave that job, so there is always that element.

"[Palace chairman] Steve Parish was very clear that this was going to happen and he wanted me to come in for this period of time to take over the reins.

"When he persuaded me that it was something he had really thought through and wanted to do and thought I was the one they wanted to do this for the next two months, it didn't take much thinking about at all.

"As far as my wife was concerned she didn't make too many complaints either. I think she was glad to see the back of me."

It seems you can’t take Hodgson away from football for too long: "In terms of coming back, in that respect, it wasn't a difficult decision to make. Now that I am back it means things can fit in quite seamlessly because people know me and they know how I like to work."

The Eagles are one of nine teams at the bottom all separated by just points with Crystal Palace’s poor run costing Patrick Vieira his job earlier this month. Despite being 12th in the league, Palace are in a potentially perilous position if they don’t start winning soon – the club will be hoping the ‘new manager bounce’ comes into full effect.