Hodgson will stay says Fulham director

Fulham will do everything in their power to keep manager Roy Hodgson at Craven Cottage after his team’s fairytale run to the Europa League final ended in defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Hodgson and his players headed back to England disconsolate after Diego Forlan’s goal four minutes from the end of extra-time gave Atletico a 2-1 win in Hamburg on Wednesday.

However, Hodgson will be a hot property during the close-season after his unfashionable team eliminated Juventus, Hamburg, Wolfsburg and Shakhtar Donetsk on the way to the final.

The former Inter Milan coach has already seen his name mentioned in connection with Liverpool and England if those jobs became available.

But Fulham director Michael Cole said: “He is integral to the club, a very great manager. And as (club owner) Mohamed al Fayed has said, he’s more than a manager – he’s a very great human being.

“We do think he will stay and I think he’ll be at Fulham because essentially he has what every manager says he wants – a free hand and the confidence of the chairman. By and large he gets the support he requires in the way he wants it.”