England Legends Poignant Messages to Sven-Göran Eriksson

thank you for everything you did for me throughout my career to believe in me, when a lot of people didn't, he was good, he actually changed my career, changed my life in so many ways, so I just want to say thank you, Sven, brilliant. See you, thank you very much for inviting us to your home. It's a beautiful, beautiful setting. It's a pleasure. This is where you were born. I think I was born in Sunna and grew up in North Torsby. Why did you go back to where I was born then, well my parents were alive at the time but I didn't have a place of my own to stay so I discovered this place and bought it in 2001.

I think it was when you were England manager. I suppose this in the summer was a wonderful escape from managing our national team, it was lovely, but while I was England manager the lake was full of boats. Paparazzi everywhere were there. but then you're right, he wasn't good enough to play in the first division in Sweden. I played second and finished when he was 27 and he came to me and said, "I think you better help me with training because he took a new team." in Sweden and I stopped playing and made that 27 good choice, some decision, although it wasn't really?

Yes, of course it was. I wasn't happy with it at first because I thought I could do better as a player. That was the dream, but no, I was better off as a coach, I certainly did it, then from assistant to coach, being a coach, what was that like for you? You know, after a year together we worked, he went because he went to being an assistant in the Swedish national team and then he said: "you take it, it was a third division team and we won the league and when we got promoted they called from a better club and the rest is history as they say the journey started well.

I know that you enjoyed it." I also live in London so I didn't know what to bring you as an invitation to SP's house so we have the traditional English tea bugs for you thank you and the English shortbread cookies yes thank you no problem no thanks . you for your time no, no, so, um, I know you're going to show me this wonderful house of yours, let's sit here and, uh, and go down memory lane, you come in, I don't think she'll bother you. Come on, come on, oh she wants to stay, look I've made a friend, yeah, as long as you do, she stays there, yeah, okay, how did your life change when you appointed the coach of our national team in terms of football? ?

It didn't change much, but England was a bigger job than I thought. A coach called me and said: Congratulations on the new job. When I signed for England. I'll give you advice. He said. What did I say? Lives in Paris. so after a year I knew what he meant, but it's a great job and I was happy, very proud to have it. It's both good and bad that you get too much attention in that job. Is there anything that can prepare you for that kind of thing? I was not prepared, so it became a big surprise for me, a bad surprise because where I was before in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, private life doesn't matter at all, but that became extremely important for some, some media of communication in England, not all.

The football media is very good in England, they were quite fair if you lost in the Northern Island, which we did. I didn't expect anything good. If you quit tonight or tomorrow was the first question. I didn't expect that, but anyway, of course not. I won't buy the newspapers the next day because they kill us and they should. How did you deal with those lows? There weren't too many. No. The only qualifying match we lost was against Northern Iran in three years. And? It wasn't good, we should have done better in the big tournaments when you first took the job, although qualifying was everything, I mean let's talk about two kns in particular, the Germany night, did you feel at that moment what it meant for England to do that? in Germany and how special it was and that got you off to a good start at work.

Actually yeah, we went to Germany there and I don't think we were the favorites to win the game. No, so of course that result is surprising. Don't beat Germany away, you can beat them, but five 51 is incredible and it was one of those nights where everything went well for us, it was a special night of course, what does it feel like as an England manager to take a team One night like that became almost too much, it's as if we had already won the World Cup, yes, we hadn't qualified, so the expectations were perhaps even higher for the next matches.

I was also lucky to be at Old Trafford against Greece. I would love to have seen your heart monitor that night. He was very angry on the bench and we were all there. We just wanted to have a point against Greece to qualify and Beckham saved us, of course, but I don't know. How many free throws did he have before that? Did you think Sheringham was going to release it at some point? I thought about it because he went there to say that's mine, but Beckham obviously what I heard next didn't budge, it's mine and he proved it once again.

Good captain, we didn't play that well, but the final result was extremely good, how did you feel heading into the 2002 World Cup? Do you think I still have a capable group here? We should have reached the final. I think so. as good as anyone there, but that was a tournament we failed at. I think we did well until we met Brazil, about a minute or so, yeah, before half-time, they scored a goal, we lost the ball in midfield twice I think, and of course, that's mental. A very important step for Brazil, but once again I say yes, we could have beaten them and maybe we should, but they were the best team in the world cup.

Did Ronaldino mean it as a fan? No, no, but still, many years later, we meet from time to time. in some circles of thought about football and I always tell him you didn't mean yes when he said he meant it, I wasn't sure obviously we have England Brazil at Wembley, what's it like to be involved in an England Brazil? The game Ni is fantastic because you know the nation that won the most World Cups, the best, they are not always the best, but Brazil is a football that could easily be the final of the World Cup, yes, within two and a half years, when I told some. from my friends that you were kind enough to invite me to your house, they also wanted to say hello, are you ready Sven, yes, I just wanted to tell you that I wish you all the best and thank you for all the memories and all the help.

In my career I made my dream come true by playing for England in a World Cup twice. I remember I scored against Nor Island and you came over after the game and told me you had a glass of champagne or wine in your hand, they said. You've finally become a complete player and I was excited. It's always nice to hear that from the coach. I wish you all the best for you and your family. It will be great to see you soon. I just want to say it was a pleasure to play. For England, for you, that team should have won something.

I wish I had done a lot better than I actually did for you, so I just want to say loves. I hope you are well and all the best for a fantastic recovery. I hope this looks good to you. You are in good spirits, I hope you are staying well and I hope you are enjoying the current England team which is doing very well and of course we are all looking forward to the European Championship. In the summer, take care, boss and all the Best to you, fantastic, wow, St. I just wanted to send you my best wishes, send you some love and support.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Well, I hope you're well and I'm looking forward to seeing you next week. I will be the best I can be. The coach at Anfield will be really special, so I'm trying to get my body in good condition to be able to last the 90 minutes. Hello, well, I just send you my best wishes and thank you for all the support you give me. you gave me while we were with England um and I would love to be able to see you soon thank you very much first of all I just want to say thank you for everything you did for me throughout my career for believing in me um uh when a lot of people it wasn't good it actually changed my career changed my life in so many ways so I just want to thank you for that.

Your support meant a lot to me and I just want to wish you all the best. lots of love stay strong and hope to see you soon but lots of love to you and your family Owen so those fantastic guys wanted thank you no problem I can have it of course you can thank them all. So, going back to the current England team, do you really think they can win the Euros this summer from what you've seen? I think they have a very good chance because they have a very, very good team, but I miss it with England today. is that they had almost two teams in my time, we had 11 fantastic ones and we had 12, 13, 14, 15 maybe, but we didn't have many good forwards, for example, so when Rooney got injured, we had difficulties, but yeah, that part . of football, of course, maybe France is a difficult opponent, but I don't see any other country there doing very well.

Spain, Italy, no, obviously we've talked about your time with Eng, what have you done with the way Gareth Southgate has done it? He has changed things, I mean, he is getting results, it seems to be a very united group of players, he is doing very well and the last big tournament was very close. Now I think he will win the Euro Cup. What have you done with Jude Bingham? I bet you would love to have trained his F, yes, I saw, yes, which one yes, I would like him to be everywhere, he can do everything, you can ask him to play central defense or ask him if he can play as a forward.

I think he's capable of doing anything you ask of him and uh, he's scoring, shooting, passing, defending absolutely a complete football play and I think he's a good, good, good buy for Real Madrid and he's already a great icon in Madrid, well, let's hope I can take England to some silverware and some memories of the summer that were very nice all these players no problem at all you have a room with all your memories is that yes, many of them yes 2002 than we were talking yes wow, too bad, this is a fantastic gift from is one photo of every GL match that I was in charge, so you see, there are many, they are very nice fantastic memories, there are more memories of this es santor, we won the Italian Cup, oh, just the Italian, but this is Sena Movic, yes, what a player and probably one. of the best left foot in the world I moved from there and moved to England and got the best right foot in the world brilliant I'm with England here Mandela yes yes we went to South Africa for a friendly match and the FA organized a We met Nelson Mandela and talked football with him, who is that usabo?

Yes, thank God, I understood correctly. Wow, that was a player and a very specialized man here. I have a lot of things to say, thanks to Toor because it meant a lot to me and what is this here SP is the invitation to a spear in Beck's palace with the queen and her husband we were sitting and for half the time we just talked to them left left I spoke to the husband and we I spoke to Polo, I don't know anything about Polo but he was very interested, then in the second half I spoke to the queen and asked her if she likes football and she said No, that was really football.

We are talking about very special memories, yes, of course, of course. Before we continue, Amy is your Labradoodle, yes she is beautiful, yes she is very nice. I have made a friend for life here. I think so, you have a friend because you have a very similar dog at home, right? Are we going to let it continue now? come on come on well you better show me this lake yeah let's go out you see there's ice on the lake this takes your breath away and obviously Sven when the news of your illness came home everyone sends you your good wishes. perspective for you and we've been talking about your career and everything here uh in a way yeah, you appreciate waking up in the morning and feeling good M and you don't normally do that, you take it for granted, for granted, yeah.

That's changed and at first when you got the diagnosis out of the blue, I was as healthy as, it's like a shock, but after a while you learn to live with it and today, sometimes I have pain, but today. I have a normal life and I am not thinking about what is going to happen tomorrow or the next day, that is important in your situation now, yes, it is another way, sit and think, pity yourself, don't leave it, I don't talk. About it, it is what it is and I probably won't be able to get over it, but life is beautiful anyway.