By Andrew Warshaw
May 1 – One of football’s most widely travelled coaches is about to embark on his toughest journey to date after Roy Hodgson was officially appointed as the new England manager today on a four-year contract, the Football Association announced.
Hodgson (pictured above and below) was unveiled at a news conference at Wembley, ending months of intense speculation that had focused almost entirely on the so-called ‘people’s choice’, Harry Redknapp.
On Monday Redknapp said he bore no grudges and wished Hodgson well after it was confirmed that the man who has arguably had more consistent success overseas than in his own country had held extensive talks with the four-man panel responsible for replacing Fabio Capello.
Hodgson, who will complete the season with his club West Bromwich Albion, starts his new job with England’s two pre-European Championship friendlies, against Norway in Oslo on May 26 and Belgium seven days later.
Then comes Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, the first major test for the highly experienced 64-year-old former Switzerland, Finland, Inter Milan, Liverpool and Fulham boss.
Hodgson is expected to name his 23-man Euro 2012 squad around May 13, freeing up caretaker Stuart Pearce to concentrate on the Team GB preparations for the London 2012 Olympics.
Hodgson has built up an almost unprecedented CV at an international level, his coaching career taking him from Europe to the United Arab Emirates and back again.
In total, he has managed 18 teams at home or abroad.
Until the announcement on Sunday (April 29) evening that the FA had been given permission to talk to Hodgson by his club, it was widely assumed Redknapp would get the job.
It has certainly been a whirlwind 48 hours for the new man in the hot seat, who many feel should have been given the England job earlier in his three and half decades in management because of his organisational skills and widespread knowledge of international tactics.
Taking Fulham to the final of the Europa League against all odds two years ago was a classic case in point.
“We didn’t qualify for a World Cup for nearly 30 years and he did that in 1994 and put Swiss football on the map,” said former Swiss defender Ramon Vega.
“He’s an English manager who had the courage to go abroad, learn the language and culture and come back and prove himself as well.”
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