ENGLAND soccer coach Roy Hodgson’s four-year reign came to an abrupt end after his side’s shock 2-1 defeat by Iceland.

    Hodgson, 68, wasted little time in announcing he was stepping down at the end of his contract when he read a prepared statement at the post-match news conference.

    “We are out of the Euros so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players,” said the man who replaced Italian Fabio Capello.

    “My contract was always going to be up after this tournament. I would have loved to have stayed on another two years, but now it is time for someone else to take over this group of players,” he added.

    The coaching staff of Gary Neville and Ray Lewington, who sat with Hodgson at the news conference, are also leaving.

    Hodgson was handed the post after a club career mostly served in England and Scandinavia and with a spell as Switzerland coach on his CV. Hodgson had a good record in qualifiers, with England enjoying a perfect 10 wins in their section to reach Euro 2016.(SD-Agencies)