He only returned to Crystal Palace to save them from dropping down from the Premier League, but Roy Hodgson believes it won’t be his last job in the game. He is 75 years old, but it’s not his defining characteristic. He has the knowledge and the passion that still makes him a formidable coach.Hodgson refuses to rule out taking another job in football when his short contract at Selhurst Park expires in a couple of months. His second spell with the south London club got off to a winning start on Saturday. The Eagles snatched all three points for the first time in 2023 and remained 12th in the table thanks to the 2-1 triumph over Leicester in the dying seconds.Dyche’s relegation strategy relies heavily on Onana’s versatilityWhile most of those looking from the outside will talk about his age, Hodgson prefers to focus on the football side of the story, knowing that results are the only important parameter in the sport.”I don’t really bother about my age because I don’t feel my age. But the fact is, it’s a truth that I am getting old. I don’t think Crystal Palace wanted to go down that route of appointing me permanently and I certainly wouldn’t be pushing them to do so. I wasn’t pushing them when they came to me and asked me to return now, either. I don’t push people. I’m flattered when they come and ask me to do the job, and I’ll try to do it to the best of my ability.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7142402##Whatever the future brings, Roy won’t ever “retire”. After all that he’s seen and done, he knows that is the word that’s lost its meaning.”The one thing I am not going to say is that after, when the summer comes, I am retiring. I don’t like the word ‘retiring’. I prefer saying ‘I’m stepping back’. I’m not actively seeking to keep going, but who knows what the future brings? And if it brings something like this, then I always want to be able to say I’ll do it without saying, well, I’ve got to come out of retirement.””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 The draw between Roy and the game remains as strong as ever. His age is not going to deter him. Less than a year after announcing he was leaving Palace, Hodgson was appointed to see Watford through the end of the 2021/2022 season.Part of the appeal of Hodgson’s return to Selhurst Park was his familiarity with the club and the numerous players still in the squad from his previous spell.Hodgson wants at least three wins from Palace’s final nine matches to secure survival. Encouragingly, the majority against teams around the bottom of the table.
