“I owe the last eight years of my career to him,” he told the BBC in his post-match interview. “He gave me a chance as a 22-year-old boy playing for England, and gave me my first 11 caps. He gave me 100-odd Premier League games.
“He’s made me into a better player, and he’s made me into a better man. So I owe a lot to Roy Hodgson. I told him exactly what I thought face-to-face, and I’m forever grateful to him and I wish him the best in his future endeavours.”
Townsend spoke of the impact of Hodgson on Palace’s Premier League status, with a ninth consecutive season in the top-flight secured.
“He’s been incredible,” Townsend said. “Now Crystal Palace is seen as a Premier League outfit, and that’s down to Roy Hodgson. Before he came in, we were flirting with relegation every year.
“I saw a stat: other than in his first few months, we haven’t been in the relegation zone since he’s been here. So that’s the job he’s done. He’s made us into a solid Premier League outfit.”
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