Premier League: Crystal Palace appoint Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira as Roy Hodgson’s successor on 3-year deal

Crystal Palace on Sunday has appointed Patrick Vieira as their new manager on a three-year deal to replace Roy Hodgson.

Vieira, who captained Arsenal to three league titles and four FA Cups as a player, was sacked by French Ligue 1 side Nice in December after a stint that lasted 2-and-a-half-years.

The 45-year-old also led Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ side who went a full Premier League season unbeaten in 2003-04, and won the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in 2000 with France.

The boss’ story so far #CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb pic.twitter.com/NRNfuzDd4G

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 4, 2021

“I am really excited to have this opportunity to return to the Premier League, and manage this great football club, as we begin a new chapter together,” Vieira said in a statement.

“It is a project that is really appealing to me, having spoken a lot with the chairman (Steve Parish) and sporting director (Dougie Freedman) about their ambition and plans for the whole club, including the Academy.

“The club has fantastic foundations in place after many years in the Premier League, and I hope we can make further improvements and continue to drive the club forward.”

Proud and excited to be part of this new journey. I want to thank the @CPFC board for their trust & thank the fans for the amount of support I’ve been getting for the past few days. I can’t wait to see you there, back where it all started @premierleague. Come on you Eagles pic.twitter.com/fa8BO6LZgW

— Patrick Vieira (@OfficialVieira) July 4, 2021

Vieira previously also managed Major League Soccer club New York City from 2016-18, where he guided them to two playoff appearances.

Hodgson left boyhood club Palace at the end of last season after four seasons in charge, guiding them to a 14th-placed finish in his final season.

This is Vieira’s first senior managerial assignment in England after having worked at Manchester City’s academy as football development executive.

“We have a lot to do to prepare in the coming weeks and I look forward to working closely with Patrick and Dougie in bringing in some new faces to help us all to a successful season,” Parish said.Crystal Palace will begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Chelsea on August 14.