Roy Hodgson has ruled himself out of signing any players from Fulham – including defender Brede Hangeland.
After quitting Craven Cottage to take over at Liverpool last week, it was widely reported Hodgson would look to ‘raid’ his former club for several players – including Hangeland, who had also followed the experienced coach from Norwegian club Viking to west London in 2008.
However, Hodgson has categorically ruled out any talk of poaching Fulham’s stars as he looks to build a Liverpool squad in his image – saying it was one of the pledges he had made to Mohamed al Fayed when the Fulham chairman allowed him to leave for Anfield.
‘I won’t be raiding Fulham,’ he said.
‘I’ve made that commitment to the club, who were good enough, albeit reluctantly, to allow me to speak to Liverpool and take the job here.
‘I have great respect for everyone there, I had magnificent support from the chairman Mr Al Fayed and the chief executive.
‘And the one thing I made clear to the [Liverpool] chairman is that I certainly don’t want to go in and raid Fulham FC because that wouldn’t be the right thing to do.’
Hodgson’s pledge leaves the way open for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to approach the Cottagers over Hangeland – who is reportedly considering his future at the club in the light of the former coach’s departure.
