Graham Potter will take time to share Swedish stories with Roy Hodgson on Tuesday night after Swansea City have hosted Crystal Palace.
Potter spent six years in Sweden – taking Ostersund from the fourth tier to the top level – before his move to Wales, but that adventure might not have been possible had it not been for Hodgson.
The former England boss paved the way for British coaches in Scandinavia with his spells at both Malmo and Halmstad, before going to manage Switzerland, Liverpool, Fulham, England, and now Palace among others.
Ahead of the Swans’ Carabao Cup tie at home to Palace, Potter says: “Every time Roy goes back to Sweden he has hero status and rightly so.
“He started his managerial career there and achieved fantastic things. He put things in place which are still there now in Swedish football, such as the way they organise defences and structure teams. He was a pioneer for Swedish football.”
Hodgson took in the late Seventies at Halmstad after being recommended by Bob Houghton, a former team-mate and then manager of Malmo.
Two titles in five years saw Hodgson return to England for a brief spell at Bristol City before heading back to Sweden for stints at Oddevold and Orebro.
Five Swedish league championships and two cup successes followed, with Hodgson becoming a legendary figure at Malmo. Supporters would unofficially name a section of the stadium “Roy’s Hörna” (Roy’s Corner).
“I’ve not met Roy before but I’m looking forward to speaking to him about his time in Sweden,” added Potter.
“From a young coach’s perspective, he is someone to look up to because he’s had a broad experience of managing abroad and at international level.
“He’s a great football man and he’s gone about it in a different way to most.
“Having started my career in Sweden like Roy did, if I can achieve anywhere near what he has then I’ll be a very satisfied manager.”
Potter is likely to be without Jay Fulton for the visit of Palace after the midfielder broke a bone in his hand in the defeat to Bristol City.
The 24-year-old joins loan signing Cameron Carter-Vickers (upper-leg) on the treatment table at the Liberty Stadium, with in-form frontman Oli McBurnie unlikely to feature having played with a cracked toe in recent weeks.
Goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt is likely to miss out with a groin injury, meaning Steven Benda could make his Swans debut, while Leroy Fer and Wilfried Bony continue to gradually make their return to first team action and are unlikely to be risked.
Hodgson is expected to heavily rotate his Palace side, but a player who certainly will not feature is Jordan Ayew, who is ineligible to face his parent club following a summer loan move to the capital.
The former England boss is also likely to be without James Tomkins after the defender pulled out of the warm-up prior to the 2-1 defeat to Watford at the weekend with an apparent calf injury.
