78-year-old ex-England manager Hodgson returns as Bristol City boss

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Former England manager Roy Hodgson will take charge of Championship side Bristol City until the end of the season, 44 years after he last managed the Robins.

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Hodgson, 78, replaces Gerhard Struber, who left the club on Friday after a six-game winless run realistically ended hopes of making the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League.

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“I have had great conversations with the board and I am really excited by the opportunity to help until the end of the season,” said Hodgson, who will face Sheffield United in his first game on Friday.

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With City 16th in the table and unlikely to be dragged into a relegation battle, chief executive Charlie Boss said Hodgson’s appointment was designed to set “standards and values” going forward.

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“Roy’s appointment is about more than the results of the next seven games,” said Boss.

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“Over the remainder of the season, he will help us set the standards and values at the club that we will need to be successful going forwards.

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“Roy is a vastly experienced coach who has achieved and won at the highest level. He will support me, our players and our football staff as we build towards achieving our potential.”

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Hodgson’s appointment takes him into half a century in management, having landed his first job at Swedish club Halmstad in 1976.

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His first stint at Bristol City lasted just four months in 1982 before going on to manage a host of clubs including Inter Milan, Blackburn, Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom, as well as four years in charge of England between 2012 and 2016.

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AFP

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