Hodgson takes 'biggest job in club football'

LIVERPOOL, England (AP):

Roy Hodgson was appointed Liverpool manager yesterday on a three-year contract as the Premier League club attempts to return to the Champions League after a disappointing season.

The 62-year-old Englishman, who led Fulham to the Europa League final last season, was confirmed by Liverpool as the replacement for Rafael Benitez. Details of the contract were not disclosed.

Benitez left Liverpool to join Inter Milan after the 2009 Premier League runner-up slumped to seventh place last season.

"This is the biggest job in club football and I'm honoured to be taking on the role of manager of Britain's most successful football club," Hodgson told the Liverpool website. "I look forward to meeting the players and the supporters and getting down to work at Melwood."

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard backed Hodgson as the right man to succeed Benitez.

"The club have made a good appointment in Roy Hodgson," Gerrard said. "He is hugely experienced and I believe he is the right man for Liverpool."

"I think it's been worth the wait, and I'm sure he's just keen now to get on with it and start to quickly put in place his plans for the new season."

Hodgson saved Fulham from relegation in 2008 and guided the west London club to an all-time best seventh place a season later.

Fulham dipped to 12th this season but made it to only the second major final in the club's 131-year history, before losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in Hamburg.

Benitez's six years in charge at Anfield ended on June 3, and the Spaniard has since been hired by Inter Milan, one of Hodgson's former clubs.

34-year career

In a 34-year coaching career, Hodgson has had spells in England, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and Italy, where he was twice in charge of Inter.

Hodgson has also coached Finland, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland, which he guided to the 1994 World Cup in the United States. He has also acted as a technical adviser to UEFA, European football's governing body.

But after coaching stints with Fulham and Blackburn, Liverpool will be his first stint at a major top flight club in his own country, and only his second in Europe after Inter.