The remarkable return of Roy Hodgson aged 78

Hodgson is a widely respected figure within football after a nomadic career that brought successes - but also failure in his two most high-profile posts, as England manager and before that at Liverpool.

Hodgson's seven-month reign at Liverpool, where he was appointed in 2010 after taking Fulham to the Europa League final, was a nightmare as he arrived at the club in the middle of a financial crisis and ownership uncertainty. He was never accepted by Liverpool fans, especially as results were so poor, and was dismissed when they were 12th in the Premier League.

And he was left with little but embarrassment after four years in charge of England, which included the humiliation of failing to get out of the World Cup group stage in Brazil in 2014, then the exit to minnows Iceland in the last 16 at Euro 2016 in France.

And yet his career should not be judged through the prism of these failures.

Hodgson deserves, and gets, the grateful thanks of clubs such as Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, having steered them away from trouble to stability.

He had an unfulfilling spell at Blackburn Rovers when he was appointed in 1997, but is still highly regarded in Scandinavia, where he won the Swedish title at Halmstad in 1976 and 1979, making him a legendary figure at the club.

After spells at Oddevold and Orebro he came to greater prominence at Malmo, leading them to five consecutive titles.

Hodgson continued his work in Switzerland with Neuchatel Xamax, doing well enough to be offered the national team post, subsequently leading them the 1994 World Cup in the United States, where they lost to Spain in the last 16.

He also led the Swiss to qualification for Euro 96 in England, his successes bringing him wider attention, taking the post at Inter Milan after qualification was secured.

The zenith of his time in Milan was taking Inter to the 1997 Uefa Cup final, which they surprisingly lost over two legs to Bundesliga side Schalke.

The breadth of his work explains the high regard in which he is held by his peers, and perhaps why he still feels he has something to offer.