Roy Hodgson happy to let the public decide his future with England• Manager has an understanding with the FA regarding his contract
• Chances of a new deal rest on team’s performance at Euro 2016
The England manager, Roy Hodgson, said it will be ‘up to the FA to decide’ if he will remain in charge of the national team after Euro 2016. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty
Roy Hodgson has said he will be happy to relinquish his role as England manager if it becomes clear the public do not want him to continue in the job after Euro 2016 and he gets the sense that “most people are wishing that I was not there”.
Hodgson’s contract is due to expire after this summer’s tournament and the Football Association has an understanding with the 68-year-old that a decision on his future will be taken after the competition, with his chances of a new contract depending largely on how the team have played.
That has been accepted by Hodgson, despite his initial reservations that it will create unwanted speculation going into the tournament, and though he still holds ambitions of leading England to the next World Cup he is also aware that the FA will be swayed by public opinion depending on the results in France. “That will be up to the FA,” he said, when asked whether he wanted to remain as manager.
“When you take on the job as England manager you are a custodian for the group and whatever happens after the Euros, I will be quite satisfied that I’m leaving a foundation, a group of players and a body of work that someone can carry on.
“If the FA and the country would like me to do it then, of course, I am more than happy to do that because I enjoy the job and I enjoy working with the players. But I’m also equally accepting of the fact that if it’s the time for me to walk away and leave it to someone else, then so be it.
“It won’t be my decision. I certainly won’t be looking to walk away from it. But on the other hand I hope I won’t be clinging on with everything I have when most people are wishing that I was not there any more. That’s quite important, too. When you are England manager, it is a very important job because football in England is vital and we have lots and lots of fans.
“There are lots of people care deeply about the game so when you are England manager you have to be aware that you are looking after this enormous property for an awful lot of fans. I would like to think we are looking after it the right way and it will be up to the FA to decide afterwards whether they think I’m the man to go forward or not.”
Hodgson reiterated that Wayne Rooney would be guaranteed a place in the squad as long as he was fit and the manager was also asked, in an interview with Talksport, about the chances of West Ham’s Mark Noble and Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater forcing their way into his plans.
“Both Mark and Danny could possibly be England players,” Hodgson said. “Competition in that part of the field is strong. I will have to be pretty convinced that they are better than what we have.
“I’ve got to pick the right players, they have to have the right quality, the right attitude, the right desire to play for the coach.”
Guardian