Manager Confirms Sunday’s Match Against Nottingham Forest Will Be His Last

Roy Hodgson has confirmed that he expects Sunday’s Premier League game against Nottingham Forest to be his final match in charge of Crystal Palace. The 75-year-old manager returned to his boyhood club on a short-term contract following the sacking of Patrick Vieira, guiding Palace to safety with a remarkable turnaround that saw the team secure 17 points from nine games.

Hodgson, who initially signed a contract until the end of the season, said that his intention was always to step down after fulfilling this agreement. “As far as I’m concerned, this is my last game,” he stated. “I signed a contract here until the end of the season and I was grateful to do so. All along, I have seen this as my last game on my contract and as far as I’m concerned that’s what it is.”

When asked whether he would be open to staying on longer if requested by chairman Steve Parish, Hodgson remained non-committal, saying, “I don’t know, I’ll wait until that day arrives if it ever arrives. At the moment, I don’t have to concern myself with that. What’s on my table is to see my contract out, thank everyone for the last two and a half months and hopefully help the team get a result.”

Hodgson also confirmed that star player Wilfried Zaha, whose contract is set to expire this summer, will miss the final match due to injury. The injury, while not expected to keep Zaha out of pre-season, means that the forward will not feature in Sunday’s game, raising speculation that this could mark his final appearance for the club.

In a more positive light, Hodgson praised Ebere Eze’s inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming fixtures against Malta and North Macedonia. He offered some simple advice to the 24-year-old: “Be himself.” Hodgson expressed his delight that Southgate and his coaching staff recognised Eze’s talent and encouraged him to show his quality on the training pitch.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s game, Hodgson acknowledged that with both teams safe from relegation, the pressure will be off. He also praised Nottingham Forest’s recent form under manager Steve Cooper, particularly their impressive 10 points from the last five matches, which he described as “top of table form.” Reflecting on Forest’s win over Arsenal the previous weekend, Hodgson said, “It was very touching last weekend when they beat Arsenal, and you saw the scenes after the game. It makes you realise how much staying in this league and doing well means to everyone.”