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Roy Hodgson says being offered the chance to become Watford's new manager came as a total surprise.

The 74-year-old former England manager was appointed by the club following Claudio Ranieri's sacking on Monday.

The Hornets currently sit 19th in the Premier League but Hodgson says he is ready for a challenge.

"It's come out of the blue, but very pleasantly out of the blue and I do feel very ready to take this challenge on," he said.

Hodgson added: "I haven't been waking up in the morning pulling my hair out, but I've certainly never lost that itch or desire to get back to work.

"I haven't actively sought another position, and the last thing on my mind when I watched Watford's match against Norwich last week was that I could become the club's manager."

Hodgson most recently managed Crystal Palace, leaving the club at the end of last season after nearly four years in charge.

Watford are the 17th club Hodgson has managed in eight different countries, while he has also had spells in charge of the Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Finland national sides.