Roy Hodgson has said that he ‘never felt old enough to retire’ ahead of his return to Crystal Palace this weekend, as the 75-year-old takes charge of his first game in over two years.
Hodgson will manage his first game for Crystal Palace in nearly two years on Saturday and the new Palace boss has said that he never planned on retiring from football after leaving Watford in 2021.
“I know my birth certificate tells me I am [old enough to retire] but the way I feel doesn’t tell me that,” he said.
"I've never really felt old enough to retire"
Roy Hodgson explains why he has returned to Crystal Palace 💬 pic.twitter.com/0kClHzsL22
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 30, 2023
“I had accepted that I had retired because that is what everyone has been saying.
“If I walked down the street, people would say to me ‘are you enjoying your retirement?’ but at the same time, I have never felt old enough to retire.”
Hodgson has been without a job since 2021 when the boss left a sinking Watford ship at the end of a disappointing season, with the side relegated to the Championship as a result.
Despite everyone assuming Hodgson had retired, the 75-year-old decided to step back into Premier League management last week becoming the oldest manager in the league yet again.
“There has always been an opening there for project such as this one.”
"The time I spent here were good years, I have a good relationship with everyone around the club and it wasn’t a difficult decision to come back." 💬
Roy Hodgson on returning to the club.
Watch LIVE 👉 https://t.co/dQzKbxr7QK#CPFC pic.twitter.com/GYJsnfUdKk
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) March 30, 2023
“Who knows, there might be another one that comes up but I don’t actively seek them,” Hodgson said. “No-one is out there on my behalf looking for these things.
“On both occasions [at Crystal Palace and Watford] it has come my way and I have had the choice.”
Crystal Palace face a struggling Leicester City in Hodgson’s first game on Saturday, in a crucial match that could move the Eagles six points clear of the relegation zone.
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