‘Out of the blue’ – Roy Hodgson shares details on how Crystal Palace return happened

Roy Hodgson has admitted the phone call from Crystal Palace asking him to replace Patrick Vieira came “out of the blue”.

The 75-year-old was asked to take charge of the side for the remaining 10 games of the season after Patrick Vieira was dismissed by the Eagles.

French World Cup winner Vieira only managed one win in 16 in all competitions before he was sacked following the 1-0 defeat at Brighton, with Paddy McCarthy taking interim charge of the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Vieira replaced Hodgson at Selhurst Park in July 2021 after the ex-England and Liverpool manager stepped away from the club after four seasons at the helm.

Palace are 12th in the Premier League and three points above the relegation zone heading into this weekend’s clash at home to Leicester.

“A phone call came really out of the blue,” Hodgson said of his return to the South Londoners.

“It didn’t occur to me that Palace were considering a change. You don’t know what’s happening at a football club.

“I have never kept contact with anybody here. When I leave a club, I leave it to the people that come in.

“I don’t try and keep any contacts or information about how things are. What I have known about Crystal Palace is the same as anyone else.

“When the phone call came, it shook me a little bit. But, in conversations with the chairman, the co-owners and Dougie Freedman, they explained to me what the situation was, why they wanted to make a change and why they thought why Ray and I coming in for two months was the right thing to do.

“I accepted that.”