Roy Hodgson has backed Patrick Vieira to become a top Premier League manager, though cannot bring himself to phone the man whose job he took at Crystal Palace.
Palace face Leicester on Saturday in the first of a series of six-pointers between now and the end of the season, as Hodgson aims to steer the club towards safety.
'I had dinner with him when he took the job,' Hodgson said. 'I always admired him very much as a player and had a chance to admire him as a person and get to know him that little bit.