Just 252 days after announcing his departure from Crystal Palace and potential exit from football for good, Roy Hodgson is being heavily tipped to become the new Watford boss following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.
Hodgson spent four seasons in charge at Selhurst Park but decided to call it quits on his 17th job in club football at the end of last season with his Eagles contract expiring.
Since then he has remained out of managerial employment but is now expected to be heading back into the game as Watford's third permanent manager of the season. The 74-year-old will be charged with keeping the Hornets in the Premier League and avoiding the drop and is said to be reuniting with regular assistant Ray Lewington for the job.
At the end of last season, Hodgson said he was not willing to rule out either retirement or another job in management. It looks like the urge to get back in the game proved too much.
"No, one never knows," he told reporters on the day he announced his departure from Palace. "I think it's a dangerous thing to do when you still feel good and enjoy your life in football, it's dangerous to suddenly start making bold statements about retirement and this is the end of me in the world of football.
"I really don't know, I've got to say. I'm certainly not leaving Crystal Palace with the idea of putting myself back on the market and trying to get another job. I really am stepping down and stepping away from football for a while.
"But who knows what the future will bring? I'm still excited by the fact that I still have a future that I'm looking forward to whether that be in football or elsewhere, but I'll wait and see what happens. It's a never say never moment, I think."
Watford are said to want to give their new manager as much time as possible to work with the team before their next Premier League game against fellow relegation strugglers Burnley on February 5.
That could mean Hodgson is announced on Tuesday, with the Englishman having already worked with the club's owners - the Pozzo family - during his brief stint as Udinese boss in Italy.
