David Beckham said he would be “forever grateful” to “true gentleman” Sven-Goran Eriksson following the former England manager’s death on Monday at the age of 76.
Eriksson became the first foreign manager of the England team when he was appointed in 2001, leading the team to three successive quarter-final appearances before leaving his post after the 2006 World Cup.
Beckham was made England captain by the Swede and wore the armband throughout the reign of Eriksson, who announced in January that he had “best case” a year to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The 49-year-old former midfielder posted footage of a recent meeting with Eriksson on Instagram and wrote: “We laughed, we cried and we knew we were saying goodbye.
“Sven, thank you for always being the person you have always been – passionate, caring, calm and a true gentleman.
“I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family… Thank you Sven and in your last words to me ‘It will be ok’.”
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Eriksson’s public confirmation of his illness led to an outpouring of affection, something recognised by his family who thanked the football world for making his last months “unforgettable”.
He was given the opportunity to manage his beloved Liverpool in a charity match at Anfield in March.
Eriksson admitted he had shed tears before and after the Liverpool ‘Legends’ match, and said: “To sit on the bench for Liverpool, that’s been my dream my whole life. Now it happened, and it was a beautiful day in all meanings.
“It’s a good finish, to finish with Liverpool, it can’t be much better than that.”
Erikson was appointed to lead England after a successful career in club management, notably in Italy, where he won a Serie A and cup double, as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup, with Lazio.
He was never far away from the headlines during his time in England where, apart from football, his private life was a seemingly-endless source of fascination for newspapers.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham paid tribute to Eriksson, who famously led England to a 5-1 win over Germany in a World Cup qualifier in Munich in September 2001.
“This is a very sad day. He gave all England fans such special memories. No one can ever forget the 5-1 victory in Munich against Germany under Sven’s guidance,” Bullingham said.
“Sven will be rightly recognised and forever remembered for his significant work with the England team, and for his wider contribution to the game.
“On behalf of my colleagues at the FA, past and present, our thoughts are with his friends and family today. He will be much missed, and we will pay tribute to him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.”
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The Prince of Wales, the FA’s patron, described Eriksson as “a true gentleman of the game”.
Eriksson’s life and career is the subject of a new Amazon Prime Video documentary which was released on Friday.
“I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do,” he told the programme’s makers when asked about his legacy.
“Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.”
Eriksson first enjoyed coaching success in Sweden, leading IFK Gothenburg to the 1982 UEFA Cup.
He took his skills to Portugal to take charge of Lisbon giants Benfica, where he won successive top-flight titles in 1983 and 1984. In a second spell with the Eagles between 1989 and 1992 he led the team to the 1990 European Cup final and the 1991 Portuguese league title.
As well as his successful stint at Lazio, he also coached their local rivals Roma, along with Sampdoria and Fiorentina.
In 2007 he was appointed manager of Manchester City, with the team finishing in ninth position in his one season in charge. He left City in June 2008, just less than three months before the club was transformed by Sheikh Mansour’s takeover.
He also had a spell in charge of Leicester and as director of football at Notts County.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a post on X: “Deeply saddened to hear that Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away. He will be remembered for his tremendous contribution to English football which brought joy to so many over the years. Our thoughts are with his family.”
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