Crystal Palace hero Shefki Kuqi has sung the praises of manager Roy Hodgson.

The Finn played for Hodgson at Fulham.

“He's a top, top guy," he said enthusiastically to Palace's website. “I don't have enough words to describe what a gentleman he is.

“His experience, the way he trains. For me, I admire him a lot. If I have to follow somebody, it will be him.

“Even today, he's always on the training field, doing the work. He's got his assistants but he does a lot himself."

Kuqi also played under Hodgson at international level, when the Palace boss took Finland to within touching distance of a major tournament.

“I'll always remember how he changed Finland," he says. “I always say that if he had come two or three years earlier, we would have qualified for the Euros or a World Cup. 100 percent.

“Because we had that generation: Sami Hyypia as captain of Liverpool, I was at Blackburn, Jussi Jääskeläinen at Bolton, Teemu Tainio at Tottenham… we had really good players, but we never got the results.

“When Roy came in he changed it, and we were very close: we went in to the last game and we had to beat Portugal to qualify.

“But that tells a lot about what a manager Roy was."