So it's Roy, not Harry, who will attempt to sail the perhaps not very good ship England through the choppy waters of Poland and Ukraine.
We've spent the last few months trying to second guess Fabio Capello, then the FA, then Knappsy.
But, having evidently wasted all that time, here is our final prediction for England's Euro 2012 squad...
Key:
â² = moving up
â¼ = moving down
â = non mover
â = new entry
Players are ranked in order of certainty of selection
1 Wayne Rooney - Manchester United âÂÂ
Playing well and scoring goals. DonâÂÂt. Get. Injured.
2 Joe Hart - Manchester City âÂÂ
Best England No.1 post-Seaman. Another man England can't afford to be without.
3 Steven Gerrard - Liverpool â²
Main goal threat from midfield. May need to shoulder goalscoring burden during Rooney's ban.
4 Scott Parker - Tottenham â¼
Has tired over the last two months but will still add bite to the midfield.
5 Ashley Cole - Chelsea âÂÂ
Has improved as the season has gone on. A star of Chelsea's resurgence.
6 Joleon Lescott - Manchester City â²
Arguably the best English defender in the Premier League this year.
7 Theo Walcott - Arsenal â²
EnglandâÂÂs biggest threat is pace, and in-form Theo has that in spades.
8 Gary Cahill - Chelsea â²
A goalscoring defender: always a plus in tournaments. Showed his quality against Barcelona.
9 James Milner - Manchester City â¼
Versatile as a Swiss Army knife. One of Capello's favourites - will Roy rate him as highly?
10 Frank Lampard - Chelsea âÂÂ
Has come into form at the right time for club and country. Experience could be crucial.
11 Ashley Young - Manchester United â²
May not be Mr Popular with the public at present, but England form has been good over last 18 months.
12 John Terry - Chelsea âÂÂ
Takes command in big games
13 Michael Carrick - Manchester United âÂÂ
Must replace the injured Wilshere; the best English midfielder this season bar none.
14 Kyle Walker - Tottenham âÂÂ
Strong and pacy, like club-mate Parker, he has tired of late, but still likely to travel.
15 Danny Welbeck - Manchester United âÂÂ
The primary lone striking option. Could be thrust in at the deep end during Rooney suspension.
16 Leighton Baines - Everton â¼
Reliable understudy to Cole; made it into the PFA team of the year.
17 Phil Jones - Manchester United â²
Offers cover in three positions and growing in maturity.
18 Gareth Barry - Manchester City â¼
Dependable, if uninspiring; may be required to settle the midfield.
19 Peter Crouch - Stoke City âÂÂ
Has enjoyed a good first season at Stoke, and Roy is said to be a fan.
20 Scott Carson - Bursaspor âÂÂ
A firm second choice in goal, and Roy will know how enlightening working abroad can be.
21 Daniel Sturridge - Chelsea â¼
Another fleet-footed option, though question marks over decision making and perceived 'selfishness'.
22 Robert Green - West Ham âÂÂ
Solid for the Hammers, but will playing outside the top flight hinder his chances?
23 Paul Scholes - Manchester United âÂÂ
Wanted: a passer in the middle of the park. We can hope, right?
Those on the outside
Aston Villa's Darren Bent will almost certainly be involved should he recover sufficiently from the ankle ligament injury which has ruled him out of action for the last two months. Micah Richards, Phil Jagielka and Rio Ferdinand will all be waiting in the wings for a defensive spot to free up should any injuries occur.
The most likely of Roy's West Brom charges to make the trip could well be Ben Foster. The keeper, on loan from Birmingham, took a break from international football last May, but could be encouraged to return by a manager who knows him well.
Of the new coach's other former players, Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy and QPR striker Bobby Zamora stand out as being in with a chance of earning a late call-up. Murphy could be a good option for a deep-lying midfield string-puller, should Paul Scholes decline any potential advances, while Zamora has the strength and aerial ability to lead the line alone if need be. Zamora, who played for Hodgson at Fulham between 2008 and 2010, has perhaps jumped Jermain Defoe and the slowly-improving Andy Carroll in the queue for the final forward berth should Darren Bent fail to return from injury.
A lack of prolonged spells of form, fitness or playing time will most likely hinder Stewart Downing, Aaron Lennon and Adam Johnson's chances.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain represents the most likely 'wild card', but having not yet secured regular football at Arsenal, despite some hugely impressive cameos, will almost certainly work against him.
