Roy Hodgson will quit as Watford boss at end of season with Ipswich’s ex-Man Utd coach Kieran McKenna favourite for job
WATFORD manager Roy Hodgson will LEAVE the club at the end of the season.
The former England boss, who received his CBE at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, took over with the Hornets in a perilous position in the league.
The Hertfordshire club are now all-but relegated, 12 points from safety with four games to go.
Former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna is one of the front-runners to replace the 74-year-old, say the East Anglian Daily Times.
The 35-year-old is currently managing at League One Ipswich just four months after leaving his role at United.
Hodgson replaced Premier League title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri, ending his short retirement after leaving Crystal Palace.
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But his efforts have been in vain, with the Hornets now preparing for life back in the Championship.
SunSport exclusively revealed last week that Hodgson was set to leave Watford even if he managed to pull off a miracle and keep them up.
Now, after receiving a CBE from Buckingham Palace, Hodgson has confirmed he will walk away.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the veteran gaffer said: “It was quite simply a discussion between myself, Gino Pozzo and Scott Duxbury and they said to me, ‘we have this job that we think needs doing’.
“I made it clear it needed to be a short term one between [then] and the end of the season and I came out of retirement to do that particular job.
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“Now that job unfortunately is ending and I’ve enjoyed my time doing that job, but I don’t think I shall be putting my name forward anymore for further sorties, if you like, into the world of Premier League football because it’s a very demanding world.
“And I think perhaps now I’ve earned the right to step back, enjoy a bit of free time and spend some time with my wife and son.”
Hodgson was barely out of football after leaving Palace at the end of last season before he was tempted back in by Watford.
But he insists that Premier League management is done for him this time around.
Hodgson added: “I think you could speak to any of the managers that have decided to step aside and announce their retirement, but they still do something within the game.
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“I would like to think that I’m always going to be passionate enough about the game and involved enough in the game that some particular aspects of work might come my way which I think I can happily do.
“But as I say it’s not something I’m punting for and certainly I don’t think I’ll be in charge of a Premier League team. I think that’s my swansong on that one.”
Along with McKenna, former Watford star John Eustace is one of the favourites to replace Hodgson in the dugout.