Roy Hodgson: Signing Poulsen was one of my easiest decisions

Christian Poulsen with Roy Hodgson (pic: John Powell) 300ROY HODGSON smiles warmly as he recalls the morning Christian Poulsen breezed into his life, hoping to embark on a grand, footballing adventure.Then manager of FC Copenhagen, Hodgson had heard rave reviews about a flaxen-haired, energetic player who had been making waves for a little club called Holbaek and wanted to take a look, so he set up a trial. Within minutes of it starting, he knew what the fuss was about.'Signing Christian was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made,' said Hodgson. 'I remember he had to take time off work to come and do the trial; the plan was that Christian would spend a week training with us but after the first day, I told the Sporting Director to sign him.'His talent was far, far above the standard he was playing. He made his debut against Rosenborg in a friendly as a right-back but when he got his chance in midfield, he stepped straight in and never looked back. It's been onwards and upwards since then.' A statement with which it is impossible to argue; a year after joining FC Copenhagen, Poulsen and Hodgson were celebrating landing the Danish title; from then international recognition followed and soon a man who has now been capped 77 times would be on his travels.He became Danish football's most expensive export when joining Schalke 04 after the 2002 World Cup, went on to have a terrific time in Spain with Sevilla - he marked his debut by helping them beat Barcelona 3-0 in the European Super Cup - before moving to Juventus.Poulsen, clearly, had an outstanding pedigree but as he embarks on the latest chapter of his journey - one that has led to a reunion with the man who launched him on the road to the top - there is a suggestion that the 30-year-old feels he has gone back a decade.

Source: Liverpool_Echo