Roy Hodgson's idea of celebrating 50 years in management is not to sit back reflecting on a career of highs and lows with both clubs and countries - it is to return to the dugout at Bristol City.

The 78-year-old former England boss left his last job at Crystal Palace in February 2024, riding off into what everyone presumed would be the sunset of a career that began at Halmstad in Sweden in 1976.

And yet, in a move that proved once again that football's capacity to surprise must not be under-estimated, Hodgson is back at another one of his former clubs 44 years after being sacked by them.

Instead of poring over his beloved books, as an avid reader of Milan Kundera, John Updike and Philip Roth, Hodgson is back in business.

Hodgson replaces the sacked Gerhard Struber at Championship side Bristol City for the last seven games of the season - and even if it is only for that short period, it is still one of the most eyebrow-raising stories of the campaign.

Return of the old campaigners

Hodgson's comeback makes him the latest in a series of the game's elder statesmen who find it seemingly impossible to kick the high the drug of football offers them.

Martin O'Neill, at 74 but still as sharp and competitive as ever, is currently in his second spell of this season at former club Celtic, who he also managed from 2000-2005.

He is currently locked in the high stakes, high pressure, fight for the Scottish Premiership title alongside Hearts and Rangers after succeeding Brendan Rodgers earlier this season then, having left when Wilfried Nancy was appointed, returning once again when the Frenchman was sacked after only eight games.

Neil Warnock, at 77, also returned for a short spell in charge of his old club Torquay United, between the sacking of Paul Wootton and the appointment of Jimmy Ball.

And will be there be another old stager on the comeback trail?

Harry Redknapp, older than Hodgson at 79, has made it clear he is willing to return to Tottenham Hotspur - where he was sacked in 2012 - as a possible solution should they decide to dispense with the services of Igor Tudor.

That, at this stage, seems far-fetched - but so did the idea of Hodgson reappearing on the touchline, until Friday's announcement by Bristol City.

How is Hodgson viewed?

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.

Never go back - even after 44 years?

Hodgson's return to Bristol City after more than four decades sees him join a club with high ambition but who are currently a lowly 16th in the Championship in a season which started with hopes of a play-off place at least.

The mood is currently one of anger among Bristol City's big fanbase, so chief executive Charlie Boss will see the arrival of Hodgson as the chance to calm discontent with the measured figure of the former England manager at the helm.

Hodgson's previous spell was blighted by a financial crisis, and this is another job that requires the ship to be steadied.

It has all the hallmarks of a holding operation between now and the end of the season, with the hope of getting results to offer hope for next term.

Bristol City are in the process of appointing a sporting director before bringing in a new head coach. They will expect the vast experience of Hodgson to ensure a smooth transition while improving the mood of supporters. (BBC)

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