There must be something in the water at Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson, 76, is looking sprightlier than ever as he leads the club forwards in the post-Zaha era and he would like others to experience the restorative effects of life at the Eagles. In fact, he’s keen for Eden Hazard to sample the club’s elixir of life and revive a football career that flatlined the moment he left London for Madrid in 2019. The Belgian is considering retirement after leaving the Bernabéu in the summer but could be tempted back into footballing relevance by the Selhurst Park smelling salts. He’s still only 32 and could help take some of the creative load off Eberechi Eze.
Another player who may make a surprising Premier League comeback is Jonny Evans. The centre-back, who has been training at Manchester United to keep fit while looking for a club, has finally found a suitor: Manchester United! It’s been no secret that he’s made a show of some of the other much more costly United defenders and it seems Erik ten Hag has given the green light for the 35-year-old to be handed a one-year contract at the club. Poor Harry Maguire. Will there now even be room for him in the dugout he calls home?
