Roy Hodgson: Being England manager isn't an impossible job... this squad can win World Cup

On the up: Hodgson impressed by England's development under Southgate
AP
Joe Krishnan14 October 2020

Roy Hodgson says managing England is "not an impossible job" and thinks it is only a matter of time before The Three Lions win the World Cup again.

The now Crystal Palace boss took charge of the national team for Euro 2012 and oversaw the 2014 World Cup in Brazil before a shock exit at the hands of Iceland at Euro 2016.

Gareth Southgate, following the briefest of stints from Sam Allardyce, essentially took over from Hodgson and the England boss has gradually assembled a squad with a mix of experienced players and emerging young stars.

Hodgson, 72, believes that Southgate has been blessed with a squad filled with so much talent that they are capable of becoming world champions.

"In the last few years we are getting stronger and stronger," Hodgson told the The Italian Football Podcast.

Photo: POOL/AFP via Getty Images
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

"More and more young talent is coming through. In 2012, we had so many players that we thought were going to be very good but we couldn’t use them because they were too young and not getting any matches in their first team.

“From 2014 onwards, youngsters were not only coming through but playing matches week after week in their Premier League teams, playing Champions League matches, getting experience, and making themselves much more available than the players were in 2012.

“It’s not an impossible job, it’s a difficult job. It’s a job where you and the players are going to be under a lot of scrutiny, a lot of pressure on your shoulders because England ,like Italy, is a football country

"But I wouldn't suggest there is anything particularly different to being the manager of England to being the manager of Italy, Spain, Brazil or Uruguay."

Photo: Getty Images
Getty Images

He added: “I don’t think England when they went into the World Cup in 1966 were regarded as having the best team in the tournament, but they won it.

"One day that will happen with England and it will happen sooner rather than later purely because we are producing so many good young players now."

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