Roy Hodgson insists he had no reservations about taking the Watford job - despite the club’s owners sacking him after only six months when he was in charge of their sister outfit, Udinese.
Hodgson was appointed manager of Udinese ahead of the 2001/02 season, but by December the Pozzo family, who also own Watford, had shown him the door.
Hodgson is now back working with the Pozzos and is Watford’s third manager of the season after they sacked Claudio Ranieri last month.
He will take charge of his first match on Saturday, when Watford travel to relegation rivals Burnley, and Hodgson insists he had no reservations about taking the job.
“What happened there was certainly as much my fault as any I could attach to them,” said Hodgson, discussing his departure from Udinese. “I don’t know that I was ready to go back to Italy and take on the job that I’d agreed to do.
“But, in many ways, our relationship then was not bad at all I didn’t think. And since that time, which is really over 20 years ago, I’ve spoken to Gino [Pozzo] on many occasions and have even spoken to his father.
“So, as far as I am concerned, that is water long under the bridge and it had no affect at all on me accepting this invitation to work for them again.
“I wouldn’t have accepted the challenge had I not believed we can help out and help the club to stay in the Premier League.”
