Eight years ago Roy Hodgson was readying himself for retirement, now the England manager can see himself coaching beyond Euro 2016.
Managing the Three Lions is the pinnacle of the 67-year-old's long and illustrious management career, which has taken him to 15 different clubs across six countries.
Hodgson started off in management in 1976 at Swedish club Halmstad, while England are the fourth different national team he has managed -- a dream job that would have eluded him had he stuck with his plan to wind down his career.
"I retired at 60," Hodgson said. "At the age of 60, before I went to Fulham, I was on my way to Inter to join Massimo Moratti as his presidential advisor and to go into semi-retirement.
"Here I am eight years later and I am still working in the biggest job in the country.
"That taught me not to make any decisions, the body will tell you."
The move to Fulham, who he remarkably led to a Europa League final, was followed by spells of varying success at Liverpool and West Brom, before his appointment as England manager in 2012.
Hodgson penned a four-year deal taking him through to Euro 2016 -- a competition England look all-but certain to qualify for having won all four Group E matches to date.
Success in France remains the Three Lions boss' main concern, but talk of what happens afterwards is only natural.
Several high-profile players have expressed their desire for Hodgson to be given a new deal, although that is not something he is thinking about.
"Well, we'll see," he said. "I don't know, I don't know.
"At the moment I feel quite good and I don't feel anything like my age and I hope that will continue for a good few more years to come, so you never know.
"I prefer to let the future take care of itself and have my clearly focused goals. As times go on, we will see what develops from there.
"I must say that it is not something that really occupies me at the moment. I am quite confident that when the day comes, I will know what the right the thing to do is and then I'll do it.
"But I don't want to think about it now because I have got important things to think about, I have got an important job to do that I really enjoy, so 2018 and 2020 we will see."
Health and family life will no doubt be key in Hodgson's decision, but the chance to carry on developing English talent will be hard to walk away from.
"I am quite excited about young players and working with players," he said.
"I share that with Bobby Robson, I think. I remember when I used to speak to Bob when he was at club sides, he was always telling me about these players he had coming through and how good they were.
"I think I have probably got a little bit of that in me as well so I have to be careful. It is quite easy to be optimistic and to be enthusiastic about the players you are working with.
"Sometimes you don't see them with as critical an eye as maybe you should do, so I put that rider on that optimism and enthusiasm. It is partly to do with me as a person and the way I work.
"I don't apologise for that, I don't think it is wrong but I don't want to be held up there as saying this will happen or these are the boys.
"We have had so many generations, so many golden generations, so many in the last 10 years of teams that have gone to places and 'this is the group and the boys are going to do it'. I don't want to fall into that trap.
"On the other hand, I don't want to speak less than enthusiastically and with passion and, if you like, belief in the group of players."