Roy Hodgson: No need to rush decision over my Crystal Palace future

BY SAM SMITH

Roy Hodgson has said that there is no need to rush a decision over his Crystal Palace future.

The Palace boss, 73, is out-of-contract at the end of the season.

Despite a poor period of form around Christmas, Hodgson has the Eagles in 12^th – and a healthy 12 points above the relegation zone.

But the former England manager would rather focus on upcoming fixtures than discuss his future.

“Yeah, possibly,” Hodgson said when asked if there would be discussions once the winter transfer window has passed.

“I don’t feel particularly old. I don’t wake up every day thinking about my age, far from it in fact. I’ve joked many a time that I stopped ageing many a year ago.

“But at the same time, I don’t have problems in terms of my future. I really am happy to see how it is going, and it seems that is how the club are happy to do it as well.

“I prefer to let them (sporting director Dougie Freedman and chairman Steve Parish) get on with the more important question at the moment, of making certain that there is going to be a good squad of players to work with next year.

“Then the day will come, perhaps, when we’ll sit down and make a decision as to whether or not I’ve got another year in me, whether they want another year from me, or whether I want to say, ‘thank you very much, it’s now time for me to head off into the hills.’

“I am more than comfortable with my situation at the moment, I don’t have any concerns or thoughts along those lines. I’m happy to take each day as it comes and enjoy the job that I have been doing and am able to continue doing.”

Palace have at least 12 players whose deals expire at the end of this season alongside the first-team coaching staff.

Hodgson says the club will have a busy summer this month, regardless of whether he is in charge.

He said: “It is much more a problem for the club with so many players who are missing at the end of the season because it is hard to replace any players who are out of contract or want to leave. But when you have quite that many you’ll be looking at a total rebuild if those out of contract don’t sign new deals.

“Doug Freedman is going to be an unbelievably busy man and it is not going to be easy to find so many players to come in and replace people who for the last three or four years have been doing such a good job for the club.”