Roy Hodgson has insisted that he has “never felt old enough to retire” after being tempted back for another spell at Crystal Palace.
The 75-year-old was previously in charge of Palace between 2017 and 2021. He has been reappointed on a deal until the summer after Patrick Vieira was sacked.
Palace are 12 games without a win and they are just three points clear of the relegation zone ahead of this weekend’s game against Leicester City.
Former England manager Hodgson, who was unable to prevent Watford from dropping into the Sky Bet Championship last term, was surprised to be approached by the south London club.
Yet he had little hesitation in returning following conversations with chairman Steve Parish and believes his pensionable age is misleading.
“I’ve accepted that I’ve retired as it were because that’s what everyone’s been saying,” said Hodgson, who is 16 years senior to the Premier League’s second oldest manager, West Ham boss David Moyes.
“I walk down the street, people say to me, ‘are you enjoying your retirement?’. But at the same time, I’ve never really felt old enough to retire, if the truth’s known.
“I know that I am, I know my birth certificate tells me I am.
“But the way I feel doesn’t really tell me that, so I suppose there has always been an opening there for a project such as this one whereby I know very clearly what the project is, what the objective is, why I’m there and what’s expected of me.
“No one is out there on my behalf looking for these things. On both occasions (Watford and Palace) it’s come my way and I’ve had the choice, do I accept or do I not accept?
“It came as a big surprise, of course. But I must say it was a pleasant surprise.”
Hodgson had 18 games in charge at Vicarage Road last season after replacing Claudio Ranieri in January 2022 and still feels scars of suffering relegation with the Hornets.
He has 10 matches to avoid suffering a similar fate at Selhurst Park but admits he can offer no guarantees going into a “dogfight” with eight rival clubs.
“I’m afraid bad experiences or unpleasant experiences like going to try and save a club from relegation and then not succeeding that scars more than teaches you, there’s no question of that,” he said.
“I’ve just got to try and make certain it doesn’t happen again because I know what a very painful and unpleasant experience it is for everyone. It affects an awful lot of people so if anything I’m determined…
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