Hodgson comes out of retirement in bid to keep Eagles up

Jamie Gordon

LiveScore

Roy Hodgson has been tasked with saving Crystal Palace from relegation

Roy Hodgson has come out of retirement to try and save Crystal Palace from relegation.

The Eagles sit bottom of the Premier League form table having picked up just five points from their last 12 games and have not won since December 31.

Days after Patrick Vieira's sacking, interim boss Paddy McCarthy saw his side dispatched 4-1 by leaders Arsenal on Sunday to leave Palace three points above the relegation zone in 12th.

Hodgson, 75, hung up his clipboard at the end of last term after seeing Watford relegated to the Championship but has been tempted back to the dugout until the end of the season by the club he began his playing career with in 1965.

The former England boss said: "It is a privilege to be asked to return to the club, which has always meant so much to me, and to be given the important task of turning the team's fortunes around.

"Our sole objective now is to start winning matches and to get the points necessary to ensure our Premier League status.

"Crystal Palace is known for its fighting spirit and I have no doubt that all our supporters will fight with us, beginning with the visit of Leicester a week Saturday."

It will be Hodgson's second spell in the Selhurst Park hotseat after keeping the Eagles in the top flight from the 2017-18 season to the end of the 2020-21 campaign before stepping down from his role to be replaced by Vieira.

Eagles chairman Steve Parish added: "I would like to welcome Roy and Ray back to the club.

"We are obviously in a very challenging period but we believe that Roy's and Ray Lewington's experience, knowledge of the club and players, alongside Paddy can help fulfil the immediate requirement of keeping us in the league."

With McCarthy joining Hodgson's first-team coaching set-up as assistant manager, Darren Powell will become head coach of Palace's Under-21s.