Hodgson's best XI from players he's managed reads like a list of football royalty

At the age of 75, Hodgson is showing no signs of slowing down as he embarks on his 46th year in management.

And in a division as demanding as the Premier League, that deserves some real respect - while Hodgson has managed some huge names.

But that is no surprise considering in those 46 years in the dugout, he has taken charge of England, Inter, Liverpool, Switzerland and Blackburn.

While he has returned to his Croydon roots with Crystal Palace, Hodgson has travelled the world, including other stints in Sweden, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Norway and Finland.

It means selecting a starting XI of the best players he has coached reads like a who's who of football royalty.

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Goalkeeper: Gianluca Pagliuca (Inter)

The Italian is often denoted as one of the best goalkeepers of the 1990 as in the halcyon days of Calcio sport, making a total of 806 appearances.

Pagliuca played for Hodgson at Inter where he was nicknamed 'The Wall' for his incredible penalty stops, though he did have a bit of a temper about him.

Right-back: Javier Zanetti (Inter)

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Inter Milan's record-appearance holder actually made his debut under Hodgson in 1995 after joining from Argentine club Banfield.

Initially starting out as a full-back, Zanetti became the perfect all-rounder, capable of playing most positions and his No. 4 shirt has since been retired after 858 appearances for Inter.

Centre-back: Stephane Henchoz (Blackburn)

During Hodgson's one year at Blackburn, he relied on Henchoz in defence where he made 41 appearances in all competitions in his first season in English football.

While the former Switzerland international is best known for his time at Liverpool, Henchoz was strong in the air and dominated strikers for years to come in the Premier League.

Centre-back: Colin Hendry (Blackburn)

A true Blackburn legend, his partnership with Henchoz in 1997/98 saw Rovers finish sixth in the Premier League while Hendry helped them to the title in 1995.

The Scotsman, who made 365 appearances across two spells at Ewood Park, actually started out as a striker before converting into a centre-back at Blackburn.

Left-back: Roberto Carlos (Inter)

There can be no question marks over who gets in at left-back with Carlos arguably the best of all time, who also played under Hodgson at Inter Milan.

Everyone remembers the Brazilian donning the white of Real Madrid but it was at the San Siro where Carlos made his European bow, again given his debut by Hodgson.

Right-wing: Roberto Baggio (Inter)

While the great Italian could play at attacking midfield, Baggio played an array of positions who could do it all, set-pieces, dribbling, goal-scoring and an unreal touch.

The Italian played during Hodgson's second spell at Inter Milan, where he returned in 1999 as caretaker manager for a very brief spell in a chaotic season where the Nerazzurri sacked three managers, handing the English coach the keys on April 27.

Centre-mid: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Hodgson's time in charge of Liverpool can be best summed up as shocking but he did manage to coach one of the best midfielders this country has ever seen in Gerrard.

The Reds legend made 710 appearances for the club, scoring 186 times in the process and is revered by Liverpool fans, famously inspiring them to victory in the 2005 Champions League final.

Centre-mid: Andrea Pirlo (Inter)

A very young Pirlo sneaks into this side courtesy of Hodgson's second stint at Inter Milan where the midfielder was finding his feet at the San Siro.

But an extensive career at AC Milan and Juventus, as well as with Italy, has earned him the right as one of the best deep-lying playmakers of all time, while he might even credit Hodgson with helping him on his way.

Left-wing: Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

Simply because of how important Zaha has been to Hodgson, the Crystal Palace star gets in to this star-studded squad and rightly so after years of service.

Whether or not the 30-year-old leaves this summer or not amid a contract stand-off, Zaha will go down as one of, if not, Palace's best-ever players after 458 appearances and 90 goals.

Striker: Wayne Rooney (England)

Rooney became England's highest-ever goalscorer under Hodgson's watch, highlighting an incredible career that was just one success after another for Manchester United, where he is also their all-time highest goalscorer.

There is no disputing the brilliance of the striker, who would get in many best XIs, let alone one of Hodgson's stars.

Striker: Ronaldo (Inter)

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No question marks over who leads the line with the imperial Ronaldo Nazario straight into the starting XI after an incredible career where he played under Hodgson at Inter Milan.

But that stint was just one of several including spells at AC Milan and Barcelona, totalling 412 goals for club and country and is often regarded as one of the best strikers of all time.