Edwards insists there is absolutely no way he'll be a manager as long as Palace boss Roy Hodgson

Luton boss Rob Edwards insists there is absolutely no chance in the slightest he will be involved in management at the same age as the man who will take his place in the opposite dug-out to him at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, Roy Hodgson.

The former England, Liverpool and Fulham chief, to name just three of the clubs he has been at, turned 76 in August although appeared to have finished in the game when leaving Town’s fiercest rivals Watford in May 2022, when the Hornets were relegated out of the Premier League.

However, 10 months later, he was back in work again, returning to a Crystal Palace side he had managed for four years previously, after Patrick Vieira was relieved of his duties by chairman Steve Parish.

Hodgson kept the Eagles afloat in the top flight and then signed a new deal in the summer to remain at Selhurst Park for another 12 months,

Having taken his first job in 1976 with Swedish side Halmstads BK, the hugely experienced boss has managed all around the globe, with spells in Switzerland and Italian giants Inter Milan, but this will be the first time he has ever gone up against the Hatters.

With Edwards turning 41 on Christmas Day this year, asked if he felt he would be in Hodgson’s position in another 35 years time, he said: “No chance, no way, I just don’t think I love it as much as him!

“There’s times where I’m thinking, what I am doing in this job? There is!

“All I read this week is why hasn’t there been a Premier League manager sacked yet? I’m thinking, great.

"You have to have thick skin in this job and I get it, I know there’s not as much pressure on me, but no, no.

“Crystal Palace, get through that game and then we’ll see. Hopefully survive until next week, success is survival I think now.

“I just don’t anticipate me being in it that long. I’d love to be in the game, but I just think I’ve got other things to give and just don’t know if I’m going to be doing this role forever.

"I love coaching the under nines, the enthusiasm and the love they show for it and the fun that they have, I think it’s great.

“I’m going to keep my head down and keep working hard to try and stay in it as long as I can. If that’s a year, two years, 10, 15 then great, but I just don’t see me doing it at 76. Hopefully I’m alive at 76!

With such an intense pressure around the job these days, Sky Sports running a feature this week detailing how no top flight manager had been sacked yet this season, with five losing their jobs at the same stage last term, Edwards knows it’s a tough industry in which to work.

However, he does his best to keep a level head regarding his own future, saying: “There’s a lot of noise and everyone’s got their opinions, which everyone’s entitled to as well, I understand it and you’ve got to deal with it.

"On my phone is WhatsApp and phone calls, that’s all I’ve got, there’s nothing else, so I don’t see all of the noise around it.

"My kids do and my wife might, but I don’t and I tell them not to tell me when it’s good, bad and indifferent. I just try to stay away from it. I don’t listen to any radio, just put my music on or a podcast and try to stay away from all the noise

“You hear some stuff, you just can’t help it, headlines come up on my watch these days, I try to keep away from all of it, but it is hard.”

When Hodgson’s disappointing time at Watford was running down at the back end of the 2021-22 campaign, he was replaced by Edwards, the appointment made public while he was still in charge at Vicarage Road.

Asked at the time if he had any words of advice for the new man, Hodgson had said: "No. Quite frankly I wouldn’t recognise him, I haven’t seen him.”

The pair have since met though, as Edwards said: “Hopefully he’d remember me now, but I’d be the same though.

"Who is this guy from League Two who’s coming and taking over? It was a little bit of a whirlwind situation and then didn't last that long either, so I’ve got a lot of respect for Roy.

"He’s had an unbelievable career, at the top of the game still, I don’t know how he’s still doing it to be honest. I’ve got a lot of time and respect for him, but all I know it will be a really tough game.

“Roy’s teams are really organised, he’s done a fantastic job back there again.”

On the Palace side that Town will face this afternoon, sitting 13th in the table with 15 points from their 12 games to date, Edwards added: “They’re always really organised and very clear in what they’re doing, but they’ve got some brilliant individuals.

"They’ve got some individuals I think could play for most teams in the Premier League, so a really young, vibrant team when they’re going forward and very hard working and disciplined without the ball which you would expect.

"So a tough nut to crack, but I’m saying that like we’re going to be controlling the game. They’re probably going to have a little bit more of the ball than in certain games as well, so it will be a little bit different for them.”