In one of the longest and most diverse tales in modern football, the latest chapter closes. Curriculum Vitae, in its most literal translation, means ‘course of life’. The course of any football manager’s life is pitted with bunkers and fairways, greens and roughs, but few have had so many – and in such variety – as Roy Hodgson.
Born to a Newcastle United supporting father but with his roots firmly in south London, Hodgson was surrounded by the culture and community of Crystal Palace from the start. As a boy, he watched the European greats of Real Madrid – with superstars like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás fresh from European Cup triumph – take to the field at Selhurst Park for one of the stadium’s greatest nights.