‘Sufficiently strong’ – Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson was taken to hospital after falling unwell before Aston Villa

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed the bout of illness he suffered before last Saturday’s Premier League clash at Aston Villa was “sufficiently strong” enough for him to be taken to hospital.

The 76-year-old was absent from the touchline at Villa Park, with the club confirming before kick-off that Hodgson had fallen unwell before the game.

Paddy McCarthy took charge of the 3-1 defeat, with first-team coach Ray Lewington assisting the former Palace defender.

Hodgson returned to take training on Tuesday and spoke to the press on Friday afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League outing against west Londoners Fulham.

“It was frustrating and very disappointing,” said Hodgson of having to miss last weekend’s game.

“Even to this day, after all the excellent treatment I received – the tests and the way people were racing around to really look after me and check on me – people can’t be 100 per cent certain what caused that attack which put me suddenly in a hospital after expecting to have lunch and go to the game.

“Luckily, the initial recovery was pretty good and quick so, as a result, listening to the radio was a frustrating experience.

“But I was very well taken care of and quite rightly, in the hospital, they started from the worst scenario and worked down.

“If it was simply a virus and bacteria, what’s the problem? But they work from further down. How’s the heart? Lungs? They work all through that with loads of blood tests and the good news for me was they came out on my side, so in actual fact, I feel more confident than ever I can be out on that field a little bit longer.

“The attack was sufficiently strong that for a good couple of hours when I got taken to this really good NHS hospital, Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield, my major concern then was: ‘What the hell is going on? Why am I feeling like this?’

“Luckily, an hour or so later, by three o’clock, I was feeling much better. I won’t say perfect – because they were taking tests all the time, pulse and oxygen rates. I was fine in terms of being more than keen to listen on the radio.”