'Excited' Roy Hodgson appointed new Crystal Palace manager

Roy Hodgson has been confirmed as the new Crystal Palace manager on a two-year deal. The 70-year-old - the oldest boss in Premier League history - returns to the sport for the first time since resigning as the England coach after the 2016 European Championships.

The former Eagles youngster succeeds Frank de Boer as manager after the ex-Netherlands defender was sacked after losing the club's opening four top flight games without scoring to leave them bottom of the table.

Hodgson arrives at Selhurst Park with over 40 years of managerial experience having taken charge of the likes of Inter Milan and Liverpool. His most recent role however ended in humiliating circumstances after he stepped down following England's shock round of 16 loss to minnows Iceland at Euro 2016.

"This is very much the club of my boyhood and I remember in my youth watching the club from the terraces at the Holmesdale Road end which gave me such fond memories," Hodgson, whose tenure begins against Southampton on Saturday [16 September] told the club's official website. "In those days I had dreams of playing for the team, then as a coach you think about coaching the team and a lot has happened in between times.

"It is very rewarding to find myself here now, in different times, as the Palace manager at a club that I have always loved and admired with a huge potential. We are the club of south London, with an enormously large fan base. The ambitions here are realistic and there is an enormous potential for growth and I hope we can achieve our goals.

"I am very excited to be back in club football and it is a long while since I have enjoyed the day to day sessions of training.