Ben Guest
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has compared himself to the legendary broadcaster David Attenborough after becoming the Premier League’s oldest ever manager.
The former England manager became the oldest manager to ever take charge of a Premier League game, surpassing the long-standing record held by the late, great Sir Bobby Robson whose previous record stood at 71 years and 192 days.
Hodgson took charge of Crystal Palace’s Premier League game against Leicester City this evening aged 71 years and 198 days, and the new record holder suggested that he isn’t planning on bringing down the curtain on his career any time soon, comparing his achievements to Sir David Attenborough, who is still exploring nature’s mysteries aged 92.
“Age is only a number. There are people much older than me who show no signs,” Hodgson said, as reported by the Mail.
“When you watch Sir David Attenborough (right) and see his documentaries on TV, you’d have to be a very strange person to start saying, “I don’t think it’s very good because he’s old.
“Most of us think he’s very, very good, whatever age he happens to be. He was good when he first started and he’s still good today. That gives me the encouragement. Why should football be any different to TV broadcasting or documentary making?
“I’m certainly pleased to always be bracketed in the same group and mentioned in the same breath as Sir Bobby Robson, who was an excellent manager, excellent football coach and excellent person, who I was lucky enough to be able to call a friend.
“It’s an achievement I can be happy about — if you call getting old and still being in a job an achievement. I still very much enjoy this work, my day-to-day life. It doesn’t matter what it says on my birth certificate.”