‘Astounded me’ – Roy Hodgson hails James McArthur as Palace midfielder nears towards end of his contract

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has urged any young player coming up to train with the first team to model themselves on James McArthur.

Hodgson brought the Scottish midfielder on for the final nine minutes of last weekend’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth. Although it was McArthur’s first appearance at Selhurst Park this season, it was just his third outing of the campaign, with injuries disrupting his playing time.

The 35-year-old is out of contract with the South Londoners this summer after penning a new one-year extension at the end of last season.

McArthur has made 252 appearances for the Eagles since joining from Wigan in 2014.

When the 75-year-old was asked whether he saw McArthur moving into a coaching role in the future, Hodgson said: “We have spoken together.

“With the age he is and, as you quite rightly say, [the fact that] the last couple of years haven’t been as good for him as the first period of time when I was here.

“He got injured right towards the end of my time with the club. That was unusual, as in the previous three and a half years, he hardly had an injury.

“He picked up a nasty calf strain which seemed to have consistently bothered him.

 “He missed quite a lot of matches in the final few months of my last season. I noted injury problems have beset him during the last two seasons.

“He’s been fit since I have come back. He has astounded me that, once again, he is the player who works hard in training and the player who runs most in training – he really is an example to people.

“Any young player training alongside McArthur should be asking themselves the question: ‘How come this guy, with all the hundreds and hundreds of matches he’s played, can still outrun me in training, can still show more enthusiasm for training and still show more passion and enthusiasm for the game, and can still be such a good colleague and so well-liked by everyone around him. What have I got to do?’

“Everyone should be looking at McArthur and saying: ‘How can I become James McArthur?’

“That would be the goal for people. I can’t think of a better player to put forward and say: ‘This is what you should be aiming for.’

“The only other one I could probably put in that category is James Milner. There are certain similarities in terms of his work capacity, but James (McArthur) is certainly a very, very popular guy.

“He’s a quiet leader. He’s not a leader who goes out there trying to show I’m the most important person in this club, you know – I’m the man. 

“He’s the leader that you should look to because he’s the one that does everything that you want a football player to do.”

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD