Hodgson's former clubs Fulham and Crystal Palace meet today in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
He told the Daily Mail: "I’ve been impressed by (manager) Marco Silva.
"He was a pain as a competitor and would drive me wild on the touchline, but as I got to know him over the years, he is very good company.
"He takes his role as a leader seriously. He realises his job is to get the best out of his players and come off the field as winners, not to showcase a philosophy simply to try to look good.
"I like the balance he finds between defending and attacking. He’s not hidebound to playing only one way at any cost.
"You could say the same about (Oliver) Glasner. You can’t say Palace are a team restricted to playing out from their own six-yard box or kicking it down the field to chase a second ball. They can adapt their style. It was a bitter-sweet draw for me.
"My first reaction was, 'What a shame', because I’d love to have seen them play each other in the final. But on the positive side, one of them is guaranteed to be at Wembley for the semi-final and they have a chance of going all the way.
"They should be rubbing their hands because Manchester City are the only early favourites left in the competition. All the other quarter-finalists are in their ball-park."