 Hodgson in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roy Hodgson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1947-08-09)9 August 1947 (age 78)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Croydon, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Left-back[3] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1963–1965 | Crystal Palace | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1965–1966 | Crystal Palace | 0 | (0) |
| 1966–1969 | Tonbridge Angels | ||
| 1969–1971 | Gravesend & Northfleet | 59 | (1) |
| 1971–1972 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1972–1973 | Ashford Town | ||
| 1973–1974 | Berea Park | ||
| 1974–1976 | Carshalton Athletic | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1976–1980 | Halmstad | ||
| 1982 | Bristol City | ||
| 1982 | Oddevold | ||
| 1983–1984 | Örebro | ||
| 1985–1989 | Malmö | ||
| 1990–1992 | Neuchâtel Xamax | ||
| 1992–1995 | Switzerland | ||
| 1995–1997 | Inter Milan | ||
| 1997–1998 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 1999 | Inter Milan (caretaker) | ||
| 1999–2000 | Grasshoppers | ||
| 2000–2001 | Copenhagen | ||
| 2001 | Udinese | ||
| 2002–2004 | United Arab Emirates | ||
| 2004–2005 | Viking | ||
| 2006–2007 | Finland | ||
| 2007–2010 | Fulham | ||
| 2010–2011 | Liverpool | ||
| 2011–2012 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| 2012–2016 | England | ||
| 2013 | England U21 (caretaker) | ||
| 2017–2021 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 2022 | Watford | ||
| 2023–2024 | Crystal Palace | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Roy HodgsonCBE (born 9 August 1947) is an English formerfootball manager and player.
He has managed 22 different teams in eight countries, beginning in Sweden withHalmstad in the 1976 season. He later guided theSwitzerland national team to the last 16 of the1994 World Cup and qualification forEuro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified for a major tournament since the 1960s. From 2006 to 2007, he managed theFinland national team, guiding them to their highest-everFIFA ranking of 33rd place and coming close to qualifying for a major tournament for the first time in their history. He managed theEngland national team from May 2012 to June 2016. Other clubs that Hodgson has managed includeInter Milan,Blackburn Rovers,Malmö,Grasshoppers,Copenhagen,Udinese,Fulham,Liverpool,West Bromwich Albion,Watford, and boyhood clubCrystal Palace, whom he managed for 200 games across two spells.
Hodgson served several times as a member ofUEFA's technical study group at theEuropean Championships[4] and was also a member of theFIFA technical study group at the2006 World Cup.[5] Hodgson speaks five languages,[note 1] and has worked as a televisionpundit in several of the countries in which he has coached.[6]
Hodgson was born inCroydon, Surrey.[7] His mother was a baker in the town, and his father, Bill, aNewcastle United fan,[8] worked as a bus driver south of theRiver Thames.[8] Hodgson's family lived in the same building asSteve Kember, one of Hodgson's schoolmates atJohn Ruskin Grammar School.[7][9] The two played in the school football team, a side which also includedLennie Lawrence.[9]Bob Houghton, who would go on to play a prominent part in Hodgson's career, joined the school in thesixth form.[9]
Hodgson was a moderately successful youth player withCrystal Palace, but was never able to break into the first team.[7] After leaving Crystal Palace he playednon-league football for several years withTonbridge andGravesend & Northfleet.[10] At the age of 23, he completed training to gain his full coaching badge.[11] He then joinedMaidstone United, where he played and also served as assistant manager to Bob Houghton.[9]
Hodgson completed a teacher training course in 1972 at Avery Hill College, part of what is now theUniversity of Greenwich, where he was awarded aCertificate in Education with emphasis on physical education. Hodgson said of the experience: "When I went to the college it was mainly due to the obsession I had with football and I thought if they take me on and teach me to teach other people physical education, it will be the closest I might get to following my dream of working professionally in the game".[12] He subsequently took a teaching job at Alleyn's School in Dulwich but left to briefly play football in South Africa.[12]
In 1972, after a year at Maidstone, he moved toAshford Town,[10] while also working as aPE teacher atAlleyn's School in south London.[13][14] The following year, he moved toPretoria, South Africa to play forBerea Park, despite thesporting boycott of South Africa in effect at the time.[15] In 1974, Hodgson returned to England for his final playing spell, joiningCarshalton Athletic.[10] Again, he supported himself by teaching, this time atMonks Hill Comprehensive.[9]
Hodgson started his managerial career in 1976 atAllsvenskan sideHalmstad, having been recommended by then-Malmö managerBob Houghton.[9] Hodgson spent five years at Halmstad, winning theleague championship in 1976 and 1979. His success with Halmstad in 1976 is considered one of the biggest surprises of all time in Swedish football.[16] The year before, Halmstad struggled against relegation, surviving on just goal difference and before the 1976 campaign began they were almost universally tipped for relegation. Hodgson himself says that "my greatest achievement would have to be thewater-into-wine job at Halmstad."[16]
In 1980, Hodgson moved toBristol City in his native England, where he was assistant manager to Bob Houghton from 1980 to 1982 and manager from January to April 1982. Due to the club's financial problems he was largely unsuccessful and was dismissed after four months in charge.[17] Commenting later on his time at Bristol City, Hodgson said: "Bristol City was nothing short of a disaster in that we had only been there for a matter of weeks before the banks started to pull the rug from underneath the club. My job when I eventually took over, as caretaker manager, was quite simply to carry on in the aftermath of all the players leaving the club and just fulfilling the fixtures."[18]
In 1982, Hodgson moved back to Sweden to take oversecond-tier sideOddevold part-way through the1982 season. Hodgson could not save the club from relegation as they finished eleventh, one point off safety. In 1983, he moved to fellow Division 2 sideÖrebro.[17] In hisfirst season, Örebro finished third. In hissecond season, the club finished first but the missed out on promotion toAllsvenskan after losing in the play-off toMjällby.[19]
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In 1985, he took over at Malmö, which he led to five consecutiveleague championships, two Swedish championships (at the time the Swedish championship was decided through play-offs) and twoSwedish Cups. His team took part regularly in European competitions: theIntertoto Cup, theEuropean Cup and theUEFA Cup. In the1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup, they beatApollon Limassol in the first round andTirana in the second round, losing toAjax in the quarter finals. In the1987–88 European Cup, Malmö were eliminated in the first round byAnderlecht. In the1988–89 UEFA Cup, Malmö beatTorpedo Moscow in the first round after extra time and lost to the club Hodgson would manage seven years later,Inter Milan, in the second round. Narrowly losing 1–0 at home, they secured a 1–1 draw at theSan Siro. Hodgson's greatest continental achievement at Malmö came the following year in the1989–90 European Cup, knocking Inter out in the first round,winning 1–0 at home and drawing 1–1 at the San Siro. In the second round, Malmö lost toMechelen.[20] Due to his successful time at Malmö, Hodgson is still highly appreciated by the club's fans who have unofficially named a section of theStadion "Roy's Hörna" (Roy's Corner).[21]Hodgson continues to be held in high regard at Malmö, where he is known as "Royson".[22]
His early coaching career was closely linked to that of his friend Bob Houghton; they worked together at Maidstone and Bristol City and they both worked in Swedish football at the same time. Houghton moved to Sweden with Malmö in 1974 and two years later installed Hodgson at Halmstad. The pair are credited with transforming football in Sweden[23] and bringing inzonal marking for the first time to Swedish football.[23] Swedish teams at the time were influenced by German football[24] and used a sweeper with three or five in defence, favouring man-marking.[25] The two were known in Sweden as English Roy and English Bob.[26]
Besides zonal marking, the defence pressed hard and maintained a high offside line.[24] Their teams counter-attacked with long passes played in behind the opposition's defence.[24] Instead of playing with a team that was very spread out from one end of the field to the other, with a libero who stayed in his penalty area and a centre-forward who never tracked back, they set up a system of zonal defence, a back four, players pushing up and getting the ball forward into the final area much more quickly.[24][27]
Malmö offered Hodgson a lifetime contract, but he declined, saying later that "moving to another place seemed exciting. The decision was also financial. Swedish taxes were so high that even if you were being paid reasonable money, after losing 65% in tax there wasn't a lot left."[16] Hodgson moved to Swiss sideNeuchâtel Xamax in July 1990. In hisfirst season in charge, Xamax finished third in both the league and the subsequent championship play-off league, qualifying for the1991–92 UEFA Cup. In thefollowing season, Xamax finished fifth in the league and then finished second in the championship play-off league, missing out on the title toSion by just two points. In Europe, he led Xamax to a 2–0 win on aggregate overFloriana and then a 5–2 aggregate win overCeltic. In the third round, Xamax were drawn againstReal Madrid and they won their home tie 1–0 but were eliminated after a 4–0 defeat at theBernabéu.[18]
Hodgson took over as manager of theSwitzerland national team fromUli Stielike on 26 January 1992.[28] Stielike had been the first Swiss coach to have a winning record,[28] winning 13 of the 25 games he was in charge of. As Hodgson was succeeding Stielike at the national level, Stielike took over the job Hodgson had just vacated at club level withSwiss Super League side Neuchâtel Xamax.
Switzerland had not qualified for a major international tournament since the1966 World Cup. Hodgson took theSchweizer Nati to the1994 World Cup, losing only one game duringqualification, from a group that includedItaly,Portugal andScotland.[29] The campaign, in which the Swiss came one point behind Italy, resulted in them rising to third in theFIFA World Rankings.[30][16]
In the finals in the United States, the Swiss finished as runners-up inGroup A alongsideRomania,Colombia and thehost team. They drew 1–1 with the Americans in their opening game in thePontiac Silverdome; the first indoor World Cup game was played in extreme heat, and he admitted to not preparing for the conditions.[30] The Swiss defeated a strong Romania team 4–1, qualifying for theRound of 16, where they lost 3–0 toSpain due to changing to an attacking formation after conceding an early goal.[30]
The Swissqualified forEuro 1996, again losing only one game during qualification to finish top ofGroup 3. With their place at Euro 1996 assured, Hodgson left immediately after qualification, on 15 November 1995, to join Italian clubInter Milan. He had in fact been doing both jobs from October of that year.[31]
Part of Hodgson's success with the Swiss was to negotiate with theSwiss Super League for international players to train with him on Mondays and Tuesdays after playing for their clubs at the weekend, thus creating a club atmosphere in the national team.[30]
Before the European Championships, Hodgson joined ItalianSerie A giants Inter Milan, where he worked from 1995 to 1997. With significant investment, he presided over a rebuilding phase. Inter had finished thirteenth and sixth in the seasons before his arrival. After a terrible start to the season that saw the team bottom of Serie A, Hodgson was brought in and guided the club to seventh place in the1995–96 season, qualifying for theUEFA Cup. In an interview withFourFourTwo magazine from May 2005,Roberto Carlos stated that he had difficulties with Hodgson throughout the 1995–96 season, and that his decision to leave Inter at the end of the season was largely due to Hodgson's refusal to field him in his preferred position, as a left-back, rather than in a more advanced position on the wing.[32]
The1996–97 season saw Hodgson leave Inter after guiding them to a third-place finish. He was replaced byLuigi Simoni whose side finished second in the league in the1997–98 season and won the UEFA Cup. In an interview in 2009, Hodgson recalled his time at Inter: "We lacked stars, apart fromPaul Ince. It wasn't the Inter we see today of household names. They weren't the best technically but physically they were like machines. The Premier League is like that now, but back then Italy was far ahead."[16]
Hodgson managed to get his Inter team, containingJavier Zanetti,Youri Djorkaeff and Ince, through to the1997 UEFA Cup Final, where they playedSchalke 04. Given that Inter had a recent history of winning UEFA Cup finals, with victories in both 1991 and 1994, the Italian side started as favourites. It was the last UEFA Cup final to be played over two legs, with each club winning their home leg 1–0. When the German underdogs won the final in Milan on penalties, Inter fans pelted Hodgson with coins and lighters.[33] The final was his last match in charge and he subsequently left to become the manager ofBlackburn Rovers. In the same 2009 interview, Hodgson recalled how club presidentMassimo Moratti tried to talk him out of leaving: "I could have stayed. They offered me a new contract, but I had a feeling that they wanted a change. So I allowed my contract at Inter to run out. Even after I agreed to join Blackburn, Moratti did say to me: 'I don't know why you didn't stay here, but if that's what you want to do I won't stand in your way.'"[34]
Speaking about Hodgson's time at Inter, club president Massimo Moratti said: "Roy Hodgson was an important person in the development of Inter Milan to the point we have reached today. He saved us at the right time. When he came we were in trouble and things appeared dark. He didn't panic, he was calm and made us calm. Disaster was averted at the most important time. Everyone at Inter will remember him for that and his contribution. He is considered by us all as an important person in our history. He left an endowment to this club that's important in our history."[35]
Hodgson was one of three targets forBlackburn Rovers ownerJack Walker whenRay Harford resigned as their manager in October 1996, along withTerry Venables andSven-Göran Eriksson. The following February, with his Inter contract due to expire in July, he agreed to move upon its expiration to join Rovers for three years. As Eriksson had backed out of an agreement to move to the club, Hodgson signed a contract including a six-figure penalty if he did not join when freed by Inter.[36]
In the1997–98 season, his first season in charge, Blackburn finished sixth, qualifying for the UEFA Cup and appearing to be in the ascendancy, especially as they had been outsiders in the title race for more than half of the season and Hodgson had been votedPremier League Manager of the Month on two occasions, in August and December 1997. However, the team's form collapsed dramatically in the second half of the season and it was only on the last day of the season that they secured a UEFA place.[37]
Hodgson's second season with Blackburn did not match the relative success of the first, due to numerous injuries,[38] dressing room unrest, and the failure to find an adequate replacement for departed central defenderColin Hendry.[39] As a result, Blackburn had a poor start to the season. AfterBerti Vogts resigned as manager of theGermany national team in September 1998, Hodgson was contacted by the German FA to succeed him.[38] Hodgson declined.[40] When England managerGlenn Hoddle faced calls for him to resign following a much-criticised serialised diary in a national newspaper and poor results in the opening games ofEuro 2000 qualification, Hodgson was the favourite among the media and the bookmakers to take over.[41] Ultimately, Hoddle stayed in the job and Hodgson was dismissed two months later on 21 November 1998, with Blackburn bottom of the league table.[37]
Hodgson later explained that Blackburn's owner gave him the chance to resign honourably, but he refused to do so, leaving the club with no option but to dismiss him.[42] His final game was ahome defeat bySouthampton.[37][43] He later complained that his failure at Blackburn tarnished his reputation in England, whilst his record on the continent should have made him comparable toSir Alex Ferguson.[6]
In February 1999,Glenn Hoddle was dismissed as England manager and Hodgson was considered an outside chance for the job.[31] Ultimately, it went toKevin Keegan. Shortly after,Austria were beaten 9–0 bySpain in aEuro 2000 qualifier and managerHerbert Prohaska resigned. Hodgson was shortlisted to become the next manager, but the role went instead toOtto Barić.[17] Hodgson then returned to Inter as technical director and had a brief second stint as caretaker, before returning to Switzerland to coachGrasshoppers for a season. He led the team to a fourth-placed finish in the1999–2000 Nationalliga A in both the league and the subsequent championship play-off league. After Kevin Keegan resigned as manager of the England national football team in October 2000, Hodgson was one of three shortlisted candidates to take over;[17][44] however, after having agreed to move toCopenhagen prior tothe FA showing interest in interviewing him for the position, he was obliged to refuse any offer and the job went toSven-Göran Eriksson.
Hodgson moved to Denmark in July 2000 and became manager of Copenhagen, where he proved an instant success, taking a team that had finished seventh and eighth in the two previous seasons to theSuperliga championship in the2000–01 season – the club's first championship since 1993. His team also won the 2001Danish Supercup. In 2001, he left Copenhagen to move toSerie A sideUdinese. With the club in ninth place and in the quarter finals of the2001–02 Coppa Italia, Hodgson was fired in December 2001 after less than six months in charge after allegedly stating that he regretted taking up the post.[45] Newspapers quoted him saying: "Obviously I'm very happy to be back at this level of football, but I could have chosen a better club to come back to. It's an extremely strange club." Hodgson denied making the comments,[46][47] but later claimed that he wanted to leave so was happy to be dismissed.[6] In January 2002, Hodgson was linked to the vacant managerial role atShakhtar Donetsk.[48]
Hodgson took over as manager of theUnited Arab Emirates in April 2002,[49] managing the senior and Olympic sides.[50] Hodgson's reign began with six friendlies. The first two ended in defeat and the subsequent four were draws.[51] Hodgson then successfully led the teamthrough qualification to the2004 Asian Cup as runners-up of their group. Before the Asian Cup took place, Hodgson led the team during the16th Arabian Gulf Cup. He was dismissed in January 2004 after a fifth-placed finish in the round-robin tournament. Without him, the team went on to finish bottom of their group at the Asian Cup, collecting a single point.[17] Speaking of his time as manager of the United Arab Emirates, Hodgson said: "That was a period where I didn't know where my career was going. But all these experiences enrich you and it was good to know I could get my message to players who many say are uncoachable. It's hard work; they're basically lazy. But I had them drilled and pressuring opponents almost like an English team. Most coaches who go there are just fannying around, but it's not my nature."[16] In 2012, the president of the interim committee of the United Arab Emirates Football Association,Yousuf al-Serkal, said: "From what I remember of the period he was here, he didn't have a good opportunity of preparing his team for any tournament. There were no training camps and players were not made available to him. It must have been difficult for him to build the right atmosphere."[52]
In July 2004, Hodgson moved to Norwegian clubViking, replacing managerBjarne Berntsen, who resigned to become manager of theNorway women's national football team.[53] The club had finished fifth inthe season before Hodgson took over and finished ninth under Hodgson intheir first season in their new stadium,Viking Stadion. They also qualified for the2005–06 UEFA Cup through theirUEFA Fair Play ranking. The following season, in the UEFA Cup, Viking progressed through two qualifying rounds, beatingRhyl andAustria Wien. In the group stage, Viking finished fourth, missing out on progressing to the knockout stage by just two points. The highlight of their campaign was a 1–0 victory overMonaco. In the2005 Premier League, following a spell at the top of the table, Viking finished fifth, five points off top spot. Hodgson resigned in December 2005 to become manager of theFinland national football team.
Hodgson was to begin work with Finland in June 2006[54] but after resigning as manager of Viking in December 2005, he began the role early, in January 2006.[55] Hodgson's first matches in charge were againstSaudi Arabia andSouth Korea in a friendly tournament at the end of January.[56] Finland played five more friendlies before qualification forUEFA Euro 2008 got under way, drawing three and losing two. Drawn inGroup A, Finland, a country who had never qualified for a major tournament, narrowly failed to qualify.[57] Their qualification campaign began well, winning three and drawing two of their opening five matches, leaving them briefly top of the table. Defeats toAzerbaijan andSerbia saw them fall from top spot. Wins againstBelgium andKazakhstan renewed their hopes of qualification but they drew their next three games 0–0. A subsequent friendly againstSpain also finished 0–0. A win against Azerbaijan kept the chance of qualification possible and it was only when their final match againstPortugal ended in a 0–0 draw that Finland were eliminated.[58]
Although Hodgson's win ratio of just 27.3% was the worst of any Finland manager since 2000, this is attributable to his record in friendlies. Out of eight friendly matches, Finland drew five and lost three. All six of his wins came in official qualifying matches, allowing Finland to come fourth in their group with a respectable 24 points,[59] finishing below third-placed Serbia on goal difference and missing out on qualification by just three points.[18] Hodgson drew plaudits for his work with the team and Finland were praised for well-organised defending but criticised for inefficient attacking – five of Finland's 14 qualification games ended in 0–0 draws.[60] In May 2007, whenLawrie Sanchez resigned as manager of theNorthern Ireland national football team to manage Premier League sideFulham, Hodgson was considered for the role, but he committed himself to staying with Finland.[61] Hodgson would go on to succeed Sanchez as manager of Fulham seven months later. Hodgson's contract expired at the end of November 2007 and although the Finnish FA expressed their willingness to extend it, he decided to move on.[58][62] Prior to taking up an ambassadorial role at Inter, Hodgson was linked with the vacantRepublic of Ireland manager's job.[63] He was also considered an outside candidate to replaceSteve McClaren as England manager,[64] having been linked previously to the job after the departures of Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan[49] and given his international management record and nationality.
On 28 December 2007, in a surprise appointment,[65] Hodgson accepted the post of manager at strugglingPremier League teamFulham, with his contract beginning on 30 December 2007.[66] The club were 18th, two points from safety and had only won two Premier League games all season. Hodgson's first game in charge was theWest London derby againstChelsea atCraven Cottage which his club lost, 2–1. Hodgson made half a dozen signings in the January transfer window, the most important proving to be centre halfBrede Hangeland, who would go on to become a key player for the club and who Hodgson had managed at Viking. Hodgson initially endured a run of very poor results with the club, including being knocked out of theFA Cup on penalties after two draws againstLeague One sideBristol Rovers. Apparently certainties for relegation to theChampionship, Fulham picked up just nine points from Hodgson's first thirteen league games. However, a run of 12 points from the last five games of the season, including a 3–2 win overManchester City after being 2–0 down with 20 minutes remaining, secured the Cottagers' survival, which was confirmed on the final day of the season with a 1–0 win overPortsmouth.[67]
Ahead of the2008–09 season, Hodgson made several important signings. GoalkeeperMark Schwarzer and midfielderZoltán Gera arrived on free transfers, as did teenage defenderChris Smalling, who would go on to be sold toManchester United for £12 million.[68] Other signings included strikerBobby Zamora and defenderJohn Paintsil for a combined £6.3 million and strikerAndy Johnson for £10.5 million. In the Premier League, Hodgson led Fulham to unprecedented success, guiding his side to seventh place in the Premier League, the club's highest ever finish and ensuring qualification for the newUEFA Europa League.[69] Fulham also enjoyed a cup run, reaching the quarter finals of theFA Cup. The club received a number of additional awards from the Premier League, namely theFair Play Award,[70] theBehaviour of the Public Award and theBarclays Spirit Award for Hodgson.[71] There were calls for Hodgson to be given thePremier League Manager of the Year award[72] and he received much praise for the signings of Mark Schwarzer, Andy Johnson and Brede Hangeland and for the improvement in Bobby Zamora's performances.[73] Hodgson's spell at Fulham greatly revived his reputation in England after his time in charge of Blackburn over a decade earlier, with renewed speculation linking him to theEngland job shouldFabio Capello have left.[74]
Players joining Fulham before the2009–10 season included right backStephen Kelly and midfieldersBjørn Helge Riise,Damien Duff andJonathan Greening. Hodgson enjoyed a fantastic run in theEuropa League. The club's campaign, which started in July 2009 in thethird qualifying round, featured impressive performances in the group stage, including defeatingBasel at the hostileSt. Jakob-Park in the final group game to qualify for the knockout stage at the expense of the Swiss club. In the following rounds, Fulham went on to eliminate holdersShakhtar Donetsk 3–2 on aggregate, Italian runners-upJuventus 5–4 on aggregate and German championsWolfsburg 3–1 on aggregate. The victory against Juventus was especially memorable. Fulham lost 3–1 inTurin and went 4–1 down on aggregate in the second minute of the second leg at Craven Cottage. However, a goal from Bobby Zamora, a brace fromZoltán Gera and a late winner fromClint Dempsey meant that Fulham won the tie 5–4 on aggregate. On 29 April 2010, Hodgson guided Fulham to their first major European final in their 130-year history, winning the home leg 2–1 after a 0–0 away draw to gain a 2–1 aggregate victory overHamburg in the Europa League semi-final.[75] Inthe final on 12 May at theHSH Nordbank Arena inHamburg, Fulham played Spanish clubAtlético Madrid. The game went to extra time at 1–1 after first-half goals fromDiego Forlán andSimon Davies. With a penalty shoot-out looming and just four minutes remaining, Forlán scored again to win the game for Atlético Madrid. In the Premier League, the Europa League commitments showed as their League form became inconsistent. Fulham lost four of their first six games before losing only one of their following 12. Five successive defeats preceded a run of five unbeaten. Three straight defeats were then followed by three unbeaten before their final four games garnered one win and three defeats, meaning the club finished twelfth, just four points off ninth place. The club also enjoyed another good run in the FA Cup, again reaching the quarter-final before losing the replay toTottenham Hotspur.
In May 2010, Hodgson was voted the 2010LMA Manager of the Year by a record margin. Hodgson received the award after a poll of coaches, including managers from the top four leagues in England.[76] Two days later, his Fulham side lost the club's first European final 2–1 to Atlético Madrid.[77]
On 30 June 2010, theLiverpool Echo reported that Hodgson would be named as the newLiverpool manager after the club had agreed a £2 million compensation deal with Fulham.[78] The announcement came after weeks of speculation following the departure ofRafael Benítez.
On 1 July 2010, Hodgson was appointed as manager ofLiverpool, signing a three-year contract.[79] The appointment came against the backdrop of an unexpected candidacy bid from former Liverpool striker and manager and then-club ambassadorKenny Dalglish.[80] Dalglish's application was rejected by the club, who publicly never gave a reason for their decision, but it was suggested that he had been away from management for too long.[81] Instead, Hodgson was chosen as the candidate that could use his extensive experience in management 'to steady the ship'.[82][83][84] With the club up for sale at the time, Liverpool were likely to face some turbulent times, but Hodgson's appointment met with mixed reactions from fans. There were suggestions of insufficient experience with "big clubs", despite his tenure at Inter, and that he might struggle to manage high-profile players.[85] FormerMarseille andJuventus managerDidier Deschamps later claimed that he had been offered the job before Hodgson, but had turned it down.[86]
Having signedMilan Jovanović andJoe Cole, Hodgson's first game as manager was a friendly against one of his former clubs, Grasshoppers, on 21 July, which ended as a goalless draw.[87] On 29 July, his first competitive game in charge was a 2–0 away win againstRabotnički in theEuropa League.[88] In the return leg atAnfield, Liverpool again won 2–0, winning the tie 4–0 on aggregate. Hodgson's first league game with Liverpool was againstArsenal, being denied a debut win only after a last minute own goal byPepe Reina resulted in a draw.[89] Hodgson made further signings in goalkeeperBrad Jones, defendersDanny Wilson andPaul Konchesky, midfieldersChristian Poulsen andRaul Meireles, as well as re-signing full-backFábio Aurélio, who had been released by the club earlier in the summer. Meanwhile, Benitez signingsAlbert Riera,Diego Cavalieri andJavier Mascherano were all sold, whilstAlberto Aquilani was loaned out toJuventus andEmiliano Insúa was loaned out toGalatasaray.
On 29 August, Hodgson achieved his first league win, defeatingWest Bromwich Albion 1–0 at Anfield.[90]
After that, Liverpool had a series of poor results, one of which saw the club eliminated from theLeague Cup on 23 September by League Two strugglersNorthampton Town at Anfield, losing onpenalties.[91] Prior to the home game against newly promotedBlackpool on 3 October, Hodgson responded to his critics, describing himself as "one of the most respected coaches in Europe" and said it was "insulting" to suggest he could not handle Liverpool's big-name players.[92] Liverpool lost the game 2–1,[93] leaving them third from bottom after seven games.
By late October, speculation was rife that Hodgson would be dismissed.[94][95] Hodgson stated that he had no intention of resigning and responded aggressively to suggestions thatFrank Rijkaard, who had recently been dismissed as manager ofGalatasaray, would be appointed in his place.[96][97] Three straight Premier League victories, including a 2–0 home win over league leadersChelsea, reduced speculation as Liverpool returned to the top half of the table. New club ownerJohn W. Henry stated his backing for Hodgson.[98]
Hodgson left the club by mutual consent on the morning of 8 January 2011, with Kenny Dalglish announced as his replacement.[99][100]
Hodgson was appointed head coach ofWest Bromwich Albion on 11 February 2011, signing a contract until June 2012.[101] Hodgson replacedRoberto Di Matteo, who had been dismissed after a poor run of form, which saw West Brom lose 13 of their previous 18 matches and slip to 17th in the table, only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.[102]
Hodgson's first game in charge ended in a 1–1 home draw against West Brom'sBlack Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. Hodgson helped West Brom to five wins and five draws from their twelve remaining games, including an important 2–1 win atThe Hawthorns against Liverpool, a result that some in the media dubbed "Roy's Revenge".[103][104] West Brom finished 11th in the final table, their highest league finish for three decades.[105]
Despite having to deal with West Brom's notoriously frugal approach to the transfer market, Hodgson made several signings in the summer of 2011, replacing goalkeeping duoBoaz Myhill andScott Carson with formerManchester United goalkeeperBen Foster on loan fromBirmingham City and drafting inMárton Fülöp fromIpswich Town on a free transfer. Experience and height was added to the backline in the form of Northern Ireland internationalGareth McAuley on a free transfer and recently relegatedPreston North End's player of the seasonBilly Jones also arrived to add cover at fullback. Prior to the start of the season, former Hawthorns heroZoltán Gera also returned on a free transfer from Fulham and a summer-long chase forShane Long was finally ended with the Irish international signing for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of £4million. Long joined the club in time to make a scoring début in the season's opener.
Following good performances against Manchester United andChelsea in their opening two fixtures, Hodgson's usual 4–4–2 formation was replaced with a 4–4–1–1 or a 4–3–3 formation.[106]
Despite his side being continually beset with injuries to key players and the season-long loss of Zoltan Gera to a cruciate ligament injury in only his second start after returning, Hodgson's side always remained well above the relegation zone until the Christmas period when successive 2–1 home defeats to newly promoted duoSwansea City andNorwich City as well as to bottom clubWigan Athletic saw them move within three points of 18th-place Bolton Wanderers.
With Hodgson repeatedly stating his ambition for the season was to ensure a third season of Premier League football for West Brom for the first time in almost 30 years, he once again raided Ipswich and Birmingham City for midfielderKeith Andrews and full backLiam Ridgewell respectively in the January transfer window. In February 2012, he led West Brom to three consecutive wins, beating local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–1 atMolineux[107] and recording successive wins at The Hawthorns for the first time all season, beatingSunderland 4–0[108] and Chelsea 1–0.[109] West Brom's form in the final third of the season saw them win six, draw three and lose five from a difficult run-in involving games against seven of the top eight teams. In West Brom's final win of the season they beat Liverpool again, this time atAnfield, their first win there since 1967.[110]
On 29 April 2012, it was reported that Hodgson was approached by the FA for the vacant England manager job.[111] He was appointed as England manager two days later but continued to manage West Brom until the end of the 2011–12 Premier League campaign,[112] guiding the club to a 10th-placed finish, West Brom's highest top flight finish since 1981.[113]
After England managerFabio Capello resigned, it had been widely reported in the British press that then-Tottenham Hotspur managerHarry Redknapp was favourite for the position.[114] However, the FA chairman,David Bernstein, stated that, despite there being a shortlist of candidates, Hodgson was the only one approached.[115] On 1 May 2012, the Football Association appointed him as themanager ofEngland after agreeing a four-year contract.[116] He officially assumed the position on 14 May.[117]
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Leading up toEuro 2012, Hodgson engendered controversy when he left former England captainRio Ferdinand out of England's initialEuro 2012 squad. Hodgson would defend his decision to leave out Ferdinand as due to "footballing reasons", citing Ferdinand's lack of appearances for the national team, his last cap having come in June 2011 and also concerns over his fitness.[118] Ferdinand's managerSir Alex Ferguson agreed with Hodgson, saying that at the Euros, "you play something like a game every four days. Rio Ferdinand couldn't do that".[119] Speculation was rife that Ferdinand was not selected due to Hodgson not wanting both Ferdinand andJohn Terry in the same dressing room when Terry was due to undergo trial in July for allegedly racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Anton.[120][121] After injury ruled centre-backGary Cahill out of the squad, Hodgson elected to pick Liverpool full-backMartin Kelly over Ferdinand, leading to Ferdinand's representativeJamie Moralee accusing Hodgson of disrespecting Ferdinand.[122][123] Hodgson said about the decision: "When it came to bringing another player in, I wasn't going to bring in a player of Rio's age, class, background and experience to be a cover player. I had to be convinced, if I was going to take Rio in my 23, he'd be one of the first names on the team sheet. I couldn't be convinced that would be the case".[124]
In Hodgson's first game, a friendly on 26 May inOslo, England beatNorway 1–0, the first win by an England side against Norway for 32 years.[125] Hodgson's second game in charge, and his first game atWembley Stadium, was a 1–0 win overBelgium on 2 June. Although England did not enjoy the higher percentage of possession, the signs were they would be a tough defensive unit to beat.[126][127] In the build-up toEuro 2012, Hodgson addedRay Lewington,Gary Neville and goalkeeping coachDave Watson to his coaching team.[117]
It was widely reported in the build-up to Euro 2012 that, with England's so-called "Golden Generation" at an end, a squad hit by injuries and with Hodgson having only a matter of weeks to prepare for the tournament, expectations for the national team, usually quite high, were considerably lower than usual.[128][129][130][131] Hodgson's first competitive game as England manager ended in a 1–1 draw withFrance in England's firstEuro 2012 group stage match.[132] England facedSweden in the second group game, which England won 3–2. Down 2–1, Hodgson replacedJames Milner withTheo Walcott, with Walcott scoring the equalising goal and then assisting Danny Welbeck's winner, in England's first ever competitive victory over Sweden.[133] In England's final group match, starting in second place behind France and needing only to avoid defeat to qualify,Wayne Rooney, returning from suspension, scored the only goal as England beat co-hostsUkraine 1–0. Combined with Sweden's shock 2–0 victory over France, the result meant England qualified as group winners with France finishing second.[134] Winning the group meant that England played the runners-up of Group C,Italy, thus avoiding reigning World and European championsSpain.[135]
In the quarter finals, England drew 0–0 with Italy, before going out 4–2 on penalties. Although Italy dominated possession throughout the match, Hodgson's side were praised for being defensively well-organised and hard to beat,[136][137][138][139][140][141] and the team were reported to have either met or exceeded their expectations.[142]
Under Hodgson's management England rose to third in theFIFA World Rankings, their highest ever position since the rankings were introduced in 1992.[143]
England were drawn inGroup H of theEuropean Zone of qualification for the2014 FIFA World Cup, alongsideMoldova,Montenegro,Poland,San Marino andUkraine. They started the campaign on 7 September 2012 with a convincing 5–0 away win over Moldova,[144] and in their second qualifier on 11 September the team drew 1–1 to Ukraine.[145]
In a friendly atWembley on 6 February 2013, England beatBrazil 2–1, their first win against the South American side for 23 years. England resumed World Cup qualifiers on 22 March when they thumped San Marino 8–0 at theStadio Olimpico. The goals came from seven different scorers and included a brace forJermain Defoe and a first England goal forDaniel Sturridge. The win was England's biggest since they beatTurkey 8–0 in October 1987.[146]
In July 2013, the FA announced that Hodgson would take charge of theEngland under-21 side for one game, against theScotland under-21s in a friendly on 13 August.[147] England beat their rivals 6–0 atBramall Lane.[148]
On 15 October 2013, England beatPoland 2–0 atWembley, with goals fromWayne Rooney andSteven Gerrard, to qualify unbeaten for the2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[149] Hodgson said after the match that reaching the tournament was his proudest moment in football.[150] After the Poland win, Hodgson was criticised byKick It Out for a half-time speech toChris Smalling andAndros Townsend, in which he made a joke about a monkey and an astronaut. Townsend did not find the joke offensive and was surprised by the criticism.[151][152][153]
On 12 May 2014, Hodgson announced his squad for the finals, stating: "I believe the squad can win the World Cup."[154] The 23-man squad included Everton'sRoss Barkley and Liverpool'sRaheem Sterling, but notAshley Cole, who announced his retirement from international football after missing out.[155]
England lost toItaly 2–1 in their opening match of the World Cup on 14 June,[156] and in their second match were beaten byUruguay 2–1.[157] Following Costa Rica's 1–0 defeat of Italy on 20 June, England were eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage for the first time since 1958. After the loss to Uruguay, Hodgson stated, "I don't have any intention to resign."[158]England finished their World Cup campaign on 24 June with a goalless draw againstCosta Rica to finish bottom ofGroup D.[159]
Hodgson namedWayne Rooney as the new captain of England in August 2014, following the retirement ofSteven Gerrard from international football.[160] Hodgson's first match after the World Cup was a 1–0 win againstNorway in an international friendly match atWembley on 3 September 2014.[161] During the match, England made only two shots on target. Hodgson was infuriated when asked about this, describing the statistic as "fucking bollocks".[162] Former England player,Alan Shearer stated that he found the match dull, adding that "those who did go probably wish they hadn't."[163]
Under Hodgson, England dropped to 20th in theFIFA World Rankings, their worst position since May 1996.[164]
England started theirEuro 2016 qualifying campaign with a 2–0 win againstSwitzerland, withDanny Welbeck scoring both goals. In March 2015, England won 4–0 againstLithuania, their fifth competitive win in a row to maintain their 100% record in qualifying for Euro 2016.[165] On 5 September , England beat San Marino 6–0 away to qualify for Euro 2016.[166] England concluded itsqualification having won all 10 of its matches becoming only the fifth national side to qualify for a European Championship with a 100% record, and the sixth instance of all time.[167] Prior to the tournament, Hodgson was praised in the media for introducing several promising young players, and for giving a more offensive playing style to the team.[168][169][170]
In theEuro 2016 tournament in France, England progressed from the group stage as runners-up to Wales, after drawing 0–0 withSlovakia. On 27 June, afterEngland were knocked out by Iceland in the round of 16, Hodgson resigned. Following the elimination, he endured media criticism for the team's negative performance, and for making several questionable selections and tactical decisions, such as the six changes made to the squad that had defeatedWales 2–1, which resulted in a 0–0 draw against Slovakia and a second-place finish in the group. He was also accused of failing to give the side sufficient preparation or an identity to their game.[171][172]
On 12 September 2017, Hodgson was appointed manager of his boyhood clubCrystal Palace, replacingFrank De Boer after signing a two-year contract with the South London club.[173] He was tasked with managing a Palace side that had lost their first four league games of the season without scoring a single goal.[174] Despite losing his first three games in charge, a turnaround in form meant he led Crystal Palace to safety and an eleventh-place finish in the league. No team had previously survived relegation from the top flight after losing their first seven games (itself a new Premier League record).[175]
Crystal Palace finished the2018–19 season on 49 points, equalling their best ever total in a single Premier League campaign. During it, in a match againstLeicester City that Palace won 4–1, Hodgson beat SirBobby Robson's record as the oldest man to manage in the Premier League, at the age of 71 years and 198 days.[176] In March 2020, he signed a contract extension, keeping him at the club until the end of the2020–21 season.[177]
On 18 May 2021, Hodgson announced that he would be leaving at the end of the season, having preserved Palace's place in the league.[178] Asked about retirement, he said: "I really am stepping away from football for a while, but who knows what the future will be? It is a never-say-never moment. I've seen so many people retire with all the fanfare blazing, only to surface again somewhere in a fairly short period of time. I'd prefer not to do that."[179]
On 25 January 2022, Hodgson returned to the Premier League when he was appointed as manager ofWatford. He replacedClaudio Ranieri, who was dismissed the previous day with the club lying in 19th in the table, and signed a contract until the end of the2021–22 season.[180] In May 2022, Hodgson said that he would not be at the club after the end of the season and that he would not be seeking another managerial job in the Premier League.[181] Watford were eventually relegated at the end of that season, finishing 19th with 23 points.[182]
On 21 March 2023, Hodgson returned to Crystal Palace as their manager until the end of the2022–23 season, following the sacking of his initial successorPatrick Vieira.[183] His first game back in charge was a 2–1 win overLeicester City on 1 April, ending Palace's 13-match winless run with their first win of the calendar year.[184] Hodgson went on to keep the club well away from relegation, winning five and drawing three of his 10 matches back in charge to ensure they finished in eleventh place.[185]On 3 July 2023, Hodgson agreed to stay on as Crystal Palace's manager for thecoming season, after signing a new one-year deal.[186][187]
On 12 February 2024, Hodgson's 200th (and, as it turned out, final) game in charge of the club saw a 1–3 home defeat to London rivalsChelsea.[188][189] This left Palace 15th in the Premier League table, five points above the relegation zone, having won six of their previous 24 matches and lost 10 of their past 16 Premier League games at that point in the2023–24 season.[190] On 15 February, amidst reports he was on the verge of being sacked and replaced byOliver Glasner, Hodgson was taken to hospital after being taken ill during a training session.[191] The club confirmed on 19 February that Hodgson had stepped down as manager, and was replaced by Glasner.[192][193]
Hodgson is married to Sheila, and together they have a son, Christopher. The couple reside inChelsea, London.[194]
Hodgson is multilingual: in addition to his native English, he speaks fluent Swedish, German, Italian and French.[195] He enjoys reading and is known to be a fan of the authorsSebastian Faulks,John Updike,Philip Roth andSaul Bellow.[196]
Although Hodgson played forBerea Park in South Africa's white-onlyNational Football League during the 1970s, he has stated his admiration forNelson Mandela[197] and coached a World XI team in a charity football event in Mandela's honour in August 1999.[198] Upon his appointment as the manager of England's national football team in May 2012, he was asked about his time during theapartheid era; he stated that he only played in South Africa for footballing reasons, as did his teammates at the club and not because of a political belief.[199]
Hodgson was made a Knight, First Class, of theOrder of the Lion of Finland in September 2012.[200] He received an honorary doctorate from theUniversity of York on 22 January 2016.[201]
In 2018, Hodgson was made a Freeman of the Borough of Croydon.[202] He was made aCommander of the Order of British Empire (CBE) in 2022, receiving his medal fromPrince William, Duke of Cambridge, the president of the Football Association. He reflected: "I think when you are recognised by your country for services to the sport that you've loved and served, I think you've got to regard that as the ultimate accolade".[203]
On 20 October 2013, Hodgson andRio Ferdinand were appointed toThe Football Association's commission to improve the state of the national game.[204]
In a 2012 article forThe Guardian,Jonathan Wilson described Hodgson's tactical set-up, containing game, and "prosaic" use of the4–4–2 formation as "simple, unfussy and solid."[27] He expressed the belief that it was the most suitable and effective set-up for England to use at Euro 2012, stating:
When out of possession, the back four stays perfectly in line, moving forward and back as though one unit, the midfield four (or five) rippling according to where the ball was, one advancing, the other three (or four) forming the blanket of cover behind, maintaining a gap of no more than 15 yards, often less, to the defensive line.[27]
Wilson also noted that Hodgson, like his compatriot Bob Houghton, employed a zonal defence while coaching in the Allsvenskan, and that his teams pressed hard and maintained a high back-line, making use of the offside trap. They also utilised counter-attacks that were initiated with long passes played in behind the opposing defensive line.[27] Swedish academic Tomas Peterson believed that the managers "threaded together a number of principles, which could be used in a series of combinations and compositions, and moulded them into an organic totality — an indivisible project about how to play football. Every moment of the match was theorised, and placed as an object-lesson for training-teaching, and was looked at in a totality."[27]
In an article withThe Blizzard, Hodgson noted that he and Houghton were attempting to introduce a different style of defending in Swedish football, rather than elements of English football, such as the long-ball game, stating: "Instead of playing with a team that was very spread out from one end of the field to the other, with a libero who stays in his penalty area and a centre-forward who never tracks back, we set up a system of zonal defence, a back four, people pushing up and, of course, getting the ball forward into the final area much more quickly." He also believed that Sven-Göran Eriksson's tactical innovations in the Swedish game were inspired by their own work.[22][27]
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Halmstad | 1 January 1976 | 30 September 1980 | 130 | 52 | 45 | 33 | 040.00 | |
| Bristol City | 3 January 1982 | 30 April 1982 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 014.29 | [206][207] |
| Örebro | 1 January 1983 | 30 June 1984 | 48 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 050.00 | [208] |
| Malmö | 14 April 1985 | 15 November 1989 | 165 | 98 | 38 | 29 | 059.39 | [209] |
| Neuchâtel Xamax | 1 July 1990 | 31 December 1991 | 67 | 26 | 24 | 17 | 038.81 | |
| Switzerland | 26 January 1992 | 15 November 1995 | 41 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 051.22 | [28] |
| Inter Milan | 16 October 1995 | 19 May 1997 | 89 | 40 | 26 | 23 | 044.94 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 June 1997 | 21 November 1998 | 63 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 034.92 | [210] |
| Inter Milan | 27 April 1999 | 30 June 1999 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 033.33 | |
| Grasshoppers | 2 August 1999 | 30 June 2000 | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 041.18 | |
| Copenhagen | 1 July 2000 | 30 June 2001 | 33 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 051.52 | [211] |
| Udinese | 1 July 2001 | 10 December 2001 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 041.18 | [210] |
| United Arab Emirates | 11 April 2002 | 30 April 2004 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 000.00 | |
| Viking | 11 July 2004 | 20 December 2005 | 50 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 046.00 | [210] |
| Finland | 1 January 2006 | 29 November 2007 | 28 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 028.57 | [210] |
| Fulham | 30 December 2007 | 1 July 2010 | 128 | 50 | 32 | 46 | 039.06 | [210] |
| Liverpool | 1 July 2010 | 8 January 2011 | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 041.94 | [210] |
| West Bromwich Albion | 14 February 2011 | 14 May 2012 | 54 | 20 | 13 | 21 | 037.04 | [210] |
| England | 14 May 2012 | 27 June 2016 | 56 | 33 | 15 | 8 | 058.93 | [210][212] |
| England U21 | 13 August 2013 | 13 August 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | [148] |
| Crystal Palace | 12 September 2017 | 23 May 2021 | 162 | 54 | 38 | 70 | 033.33 | [210] |
| Watford | 25 January 2022 | 22 May 2022 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 011.11 | [213] |
| Crystal Palace | 21 March 2023 | 19 February 2024 | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 031.58 | [210] |
| Total | 1,269 | 540 | 347 | 382 | 042.55 | |||
Hodgson was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2021 Birthday Honours for services to football.[214]
He received an honorary doctorate from theUniversity of Greenwich in 2019.[215]
I owe Avery Hill an enormous debt... they taught me certain principles which have stayed with me throughout my football coaching life... It was Avery Hill that endorsed the teaching principles required to become a good coach, because what is a good coach really other than someone who has got a pretty good grip of teaching principles?[215]
Halmstad
Örebro
Malmö
Neuchâtel Xamax
Inter Milan
Copenhagen
Fulham
Individual
His father, Bill... he had two teams: Newcastle from his youth and then, when he came down to Croydon, he was Crystal Palace all the way," Hodgson says.
International tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
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