Roy Hodgson's Surprising Announcement: Crystal Palace Unveils New Manager for 2023/24 Season

Crystal Palace have announced that Roy Hodgson, 75, will continue to serve as their manager for the upcoming season. Hodgson successfully led the team to Premier League safety last year after Patrick Vieira's departure.

Hodgson's popularity among several key players on the Palace team played a significant role in influencing the decision.

Upon agreeing to prolong his tenure in south London, the experienced manager expressed his immense satisfaction and pride in continuing his time at Crystal Palace. He also expressed gratitude to the Chairman and Sporting Director for their unwavering belief in him.

I am aware of the exceptional team we have assembled here. It is a harmonious mix of youthful promise and seasoned players with a track record in both the Premier League and international competitions.

Extensive discussions with the Chairman have resulted in a mutual understanding that we should aim high to unlock the full potential of this talented group. Therefore, we have set ourselves the objective of securing a place in the top half of the league. We firmly believe that this goal is entirely attainable, given the remarkable abilities of our players and the unwavering support from our dedicated fans, who stand behind the team tirelessly, every single week.

Premier League's oldest managers

Hodgson was appointed as Vieira's successor in March on a temporary agreement. Under his leadership, Palace garnered 18 points from the 10 matches he managed, allowing them to secure their place in the Premier League without much difficulty. Ultimately, the team concluded the season in 11th position in the standings.

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Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park in March

Roy Hodgson - 76 years, three days (on the date of Palace's first game of the new season)

Hodgson's prolonged tenure allows him to lead the team against Sheffield United just three days after celebrating his 76th birthday. Impressively, he has had three distinct periods in the premier league since reaching the age of 70. He successfully steered Palace away from relegation in the 2020-21 season and repeated the achievement last season. However, he was unable to replicate that success with Watford during the intervening period.

Over the course of his illustrious 47-year managerial career, Hodgson has managed a total of 17 clubs across six different countries. This includes four clubs in Sweden and the national teams of England, Switzerland, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates.

Sir Bobby Robson became the manager of his beloved Newcastle at the age of 66 in 1999. He held this position for nearly five years and successfully led the Magpies to consecutive Champions League qualifications and a UEFA Cup semi-final.

Having begun his managerial career more than three decades ago, Sir Alex Ferguson has had considerable success with various football clubs. He spent significant periods of time with Fulham, Ipswich, and the England national team. Additionally, he gained valuable experience managing abroad, notably with PSV Eindhoven on two occasions, Sporting Lisbon, Porto, and Barcelona. Currently, Sir Alex Ferguson is 71 years old, having celebrated 139 days of his life.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager of Manchester United, gracefully resigned in 2013, culminating his astonishing run with a record-breaking 13 Premier League titles and his 1,500th game in command. He commenced his tenure in 1986, six years before the advent of the Premier League, following a successful stint that included three Scottish titles and a European Cup Winners' Cup with Aberdeen, as well as nearly a year leading the Scottish national team. As a testament to his immense influence and legacy, the north stand at Old Trafford was rightfully christened the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in 2011.

Neil Warnock, at the age of 70 and 162 days, continues to manage Huddersfield in the Championship. In 2018, he earned a spot among the esteemed group of Premier League bosses in their seventies when he led Cardiff to promotion. This marked the eighth time he has achieved promotion in his impressive 37-year managerial career.

Ranieri, aged 70 years and 93 days, has not only managed his childhood club Sheffield United, but also QPR and Palace in the Premier League, along with a total of 14 different clubs. His impressive record of 1,618 games in English professional football has surpassed the previous record held by former Crewe manager Dario Gradi.

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Ranieri achieved remarkable success with Leicester, transforming them from being predicted for relegation after narrowly avoiding it under previous manager Nigel Pearson, to winning the league title in the 2015-16 season.

However, his tenure was cut short as he was dismissed the following season. He then had unsuccessful stints at Fulham and Watford, both resulting in relegation, and he lasted less than four months at each club. Notably, he managed 14 games at Watford, surpassing his 70th birthday, before being replaced in January 2022 by a then 74-year-old Hodgson.

Crystal Palace's 2023/24 Premier League fixtures

Crystal Palace will kick off their 2023/24 season by visiting Bramall Line to take on the newly promoted Sheffield United on August 12. The team, who has not yet revealed their manager for the upcoming season, will then welcome last season's runners-up Arsenal to Selhurst Park on August 19. Following that, they will travel to west London for a clash against Brentford on August 26.

The Eagles will face rivals Brighton at home on December 23 before heading to the Amex on February 3 for the rematch on the south coast.

During the festive season, Palace will visit Chelsea on Boxing Day and then welcome Brentford on December 30.

Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports

As Palace round off their season by facing Man Utd in south London on May 4 before a trip to Wolves on May 11 and then, finally, the visit of Aston Villa on May 19, the question arises: Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on We' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on We News.