ROY HODGSON is afraid that if he looks at his potential pay packet he'll put a jinx on Fulham's wonderful climb up the Premier League.

The Whites boss, right, stands to make a whopping bonus if he can maintain the nosebleed heights of eighth.But the 61-year-old reckons he will only look at what he's earned - or even what's slipped through his fingers - after the last game at home to Everton on May 24.

Hodgson earns around £1m-a-year,but could pocket half as much again if he hangs on to Fulham's highest-ever top flight position, or better still, one place higher and a slot in next season's Europa League (Uefa Cup).

He said: "It's true my wages are incentivised. But I'm too superstitious to check what I'm going to get. I'll wait until the last game and then look."

Even if Fulham do reach Europe for only the second time in their 130-year history,the manager who's coached all over Europe,is lukewarm at best about the competition.

He fears a few glory games could distract from the real rich pickings of another high Premiership finish, and cost Fulham more in the long run as they tire towards the end of next season.

He said: "Instead of seeing Uefa as the Holy Grail, we should see finishing as high as possible [in the league] as the priority.

"We've got a very small squad - and it would be very stretched.

"To do well in all competitions, the group would be hard pushed to do the same as this year - and there would have to be adjustments."

Fulham are away to strugglers Middlesbrough on Saturday.