Hodgson reluctantly faces music after seismic Iceland loss

But, to his credit, Hodgson didn’t hide away.

Feeling “very fragile”, Hodgson reluctantly appeared for one last England news conference on Tuesday, against his better instincts.

When the final whistle went in England’s shambolic 2-1 last-16 defeat by Iceland yesterday morning (Singapore time), the man who rose to shake his hand in the other dugout was Iceland’s joint-coach Lars Lagerback, a Swede inspired by Hodgson to go into coaching.

But he also didn’t want anyone to think that he was frightened to face the music.

“My time as England manager has been and gone, but I was told it was important for everybody that I appear”. “I suppose someone has to stand and take the slings and arrows that come with it”.

Yes I think so, this group of players as they mature will show they’re worthy of the shirt.

Three Lions supporters slammed the performance as the “worst ever”, with pundits pulling no punches in branding the defeat an “embarrassment”.

“I think anybody who’s out there, who knows anything about football – who’s even played the game of football – will have some idea of how I feel today”.

However, Rooney stated the next coach had to “put his stamp on the team” as he said an English manager would preferable but not crucial. I was really disappointed and I didn’t see the defeat coming. I did so as I have never shirked a press conference.

Hodgson went on: ‘I have no doubt, that as I said in my statement – which I would like to have left at, I’m sure that these players will get better and better.

“We had no indication from the players that they were anything but behind what we were doing, behind the game plans that we had”.

“We will get a lot of flak and we deserve it”, said the Manchester City stopper.

The England Football Association’s CEO, Martin Glenn, said the post-failure inquest, the latest of many, must fathom out why the nation that invented the laws of football repeatedly stalls early, with the World Cup in 1966 its only major tournament win.

“It’s a national imperative that we become more resilient”, he said.

“On behalf of the players, we completely supported the England manager but understand his reasons for stepping down”.

Hodgson, 68, stepped down immediately after the match, bringing his four-year tenure to an end.

Glenn: The scene was devastation and personal grief in the changing rooms.

“This hurts”, he said.