In a sport where managers don’t last for long, Roy Hodgson seems to be doing a great job. While other top managerial prospects such as Graham Potter and Julian Nagelsmaan have been fired, Roy seems to have found a way to still stick around.
The veteran has been around for a long time and is currently leading Crystal Palace from the sidelines. However, age must have caught up with him, as the 76-year-old manager was found absent during the match against Aston Villa.
Roy Hodgson’s absence on Palace dugout: explained
Before the match took place, the club announced that Roy Hodgson had become ill before the game. As a result, he could not travel to Villa Park for their game against Aston Villa. Instead, assistant managers Ray Lewington and Paddy McCarthy were on the sidelines. They also revealed that Roy was still in contact with the two assistant managers regarding the match.
The club’s written statement read,
“Unfortunately, Roy Hodgson was taken unwell earlier today and is not at Villa Park. Roy is in contact with Paddy McCarthy, who will take the team today assisted by Ray Lewington. Roy sent his best wishes to the team ahead of the match. We send our very best wishes to Roy.”
Palace couldn’t cope in the match without their manager, losing the game against Villa 3-1. They did lead the game in the beginning of the second half. However, Aston Villa managed to score three goals in extra time, leading to a disappointing defeat for the Eagles.
Hodgson boasts the record of oldest Premier League manager
Roy Hodgson has been in the sport far longer than many others. He is currently the oldest Premier League manager ever, setting the record for Crystal Palace in February of 2019 when he was 71 years and 198 days old. He broke the previous record set by Sir Bobby Robson, a British soccer legend.
He had retired twice since then but came back to the role each time. He was rehired by Crystal Palace at the end of last season. This season, he was given an extension on that contract.
Hodgson has been managing teams since 1976 and has managed 17 clubs in 6 nations since then. He has managed the likes of Liverpool, Inter Milan, Watford, Fulham, and many other clubs. He was also the national team manager for England, Switzerland, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates.
We hope that Roy Hodgson recovers well so that he can return to his favourite club once again. Their next game will be against Fulham next Saturday.
