FORMER football manager David Hodgson says he is delighted to have received damages - and an apology - from a national newspaper.

The News of the World has apologised to Mr Hodgson, who resigned as Darlington boss in August 2000, for any embarrassment caused by a story it published.

The settlement was made on the eve of a court hearing over an article which appeared in the paper on April 8, 2001, which carried the headline "FA probe £84,000 fees Darlington boss paid for selling player".

The article claimed erroneously that Mr Hodgson was facing an FA investigation for improperly accepting a payment for the transfer of a player, and that he had dishonestly helped himself to club funds.

The newspaper, which has also agreed to pay Mr Hodgson's legal costs, said yesterday that it accepted there was no impropriety in relation to the transfer, that there was no FA investigation and that he did not help himself to club funds.

Mr Hodgson said he had been "absolutely devastated" to read the article on his return from a holiday, and was prepared to clear his name in court.

He said: "I've spent a year waiting for this action to arrive and it went to the last day.

"I had all the paperwork to show that what I'd done over the years was correct, and I got the necessary paperwork from the English FA to back me up."

Mr Hodgson said he had not started the action for the money, but for the apology.

He said The News of the World had finally said what he had wanted them to say a year ago.

He added: "I don't keep an awful lot of memorabilia, but I'm going to cut that out and frame it.