Former England and Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is to replace Claudio Ranieri in charge of Premier League strugglers Watford.

The 74 year old is to be assisted by Ray Lewington and is due to take training on Tuesday, according to various sources.

Hodgson stepped down as manager of Crystal Palace at the end of last season, having kept the Eagles in the Premier League for four successive seasons.

Watford are in deep trouble, lying 19th in the Premier League, two points from safety.

They have lost eight of their last nine matches in all competitions.

Ranieri's reign lasted a little over three months and he was only in charge for 14 games. He in turn had replaced Xisco Munoz at Vicarage Road.

The Pozzo family, who took over Watford in 2012, have presided over 14 different managers in that time.

Hodgson has enjoyed a extensive managerial career, with mixed fortunes.

He began in Sweden with Halmstads in the 1970s and won two League titles with them before repeating the feat with Malmo in the late 1980s.

He then guided Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup Finals in the United States and subsequently managed Inter Milan and Blackburn Rovers.

Among the stints which followed those club jobs were national team positions with the United Arab Emirates and Finland, before Hodgson took over at Fulham, who he brought to the 2010 Europa League Final.

A spell at Liverpool was less successful, as he lasted just over six months at Anfield, before assuming control of the English national team.

Hodgson was in charge for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but England failed to emerge from their Group and they then suffered the ignominy of losing to Iceland in the last 16 of Euro 2016 in France.

Watford's next Premier League fixture is against Burnley on Saturday February 5th.

The Hornets have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 30 Premier League games.