A long time ago, in the early 1950s, when he was still a boy, Roy Hodgson was a Crystal Palace supporter. Seven decades later, he’s been given another year on the bench of his beloved club. Correction: he wasn’t given anything. He earned it!The South London club confirmed they will extend Hodgson’s tenure on the red-and-blue bench by another season. The 75-year-old journeyman tactician returned to Selhurst Park in March and guided the club to safety – for a fifth time – with a remarkable run of results and an 11th-place finish. ##NAJAVA_MECA_7351778##The experienced manager first took charge of his boyhood club between 2017 and 2021 and has overseen 172 Palace games from the dugout, more than at any other club. It really is his club.Hodgson thanked Palace chairman Steve Parish for the chance to lead the team and set the target for the top half of the EPL table.”I know what a fantastic squad we have here. It’s a great blend of youth and potential alongside experienced players with Premier League and international pedigree. I have spoken with the Chairman at length and we agreed that we must be ambitious in getting the most out of such talent. As such, we have set ourselves the target of a top-half finish, which we believe is eminently achievable with such a fabulous group of players and the most magnificent supporters who get behind the team, week in, week out.”
