'Engaging and courteous with a touch of steel'

Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has died aged 76, is champion remembered arsenic England's first overseas head and nan man who presided complete nan country's alleged 'Golden Generation' during his clip successful charge.

Eriksson's colourful backstage life has been good chronicled, while an eventful England managerial reign included a brushwood pinch an infamous tabloid 'Fake Sheikh' arsenic good arsenic dense flirtations pinch Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Eriksson sideshow often detracted from nan successes he enjoyed arsenic a nine head astir Europe earlier he was announced arsenic Kevin Keegan's successor successful November 2000, though his England tenure is regarded arsenic 1 of under-achievement fixed nan riches he had astatine his disposal.

At his peak, Eriksson was 1 of nan game's finest coaches arsenic he collected some home and European honours pinch regularity, thing he was incapable to replicate pinch England.

Eriksson will, however, ever person nan memories of his astir stunning nighttime successful charge, erstwhile Germany were beaten 5-1 successful a World Cup qualifier successful Munich's celebrated Olympic Stadium successful September 2001.

The Football Association's past main executive Adam Crozier described Eriksson arsenic "the unanimous prime of our action team" erstwhile he was handed a five-year woody to tempt him distant from Lazio, resigning early from nan Italian nine to presume his England duties successful January 2001.

Eriksson arrived pinch a glowing estimation arsenic a shrewd tactician, nan exemplary of Scandinavian cool who would supply a stark opposition from Keegan, who relied heavy connected nan earthy emotion that prompted him to discontinue successful a toilet aft a 1-0 conclusion by Germany successful October 2000, nan last crippled astatine nan aged Wembley.

The Swede besides brought a way grounds of occurrence pinch him to nan FA's office astatine Lancaster Gate that provided overmuch optimism.

Eriksson first came to wide prominence erstwhile he led IFK Gothenburg to a Uefa Cup triumph successful 1982, beating Hamburg 4-0 connected aggregate complete 2 legs to springiness nan Swedish nine their first European success.

It attracted nan attraction of Benfica, wherever he won 2 titles but could not repetition his Uefa Cup success, losing nan 1983 last to Anderlecht.

He had spells astatine Roma, pinch whom he won nan Coppa Italia, and Fiorentina earlier returning to nan Eagles successful Lisbon, starring them to nan 1990 European Cup last only to suffer 1-0 to Arrigo Sacchi's legendary AC Milan side.

There was a bizarre section successful Eriksson's profession successful December 1996 erstwhile he agreed to go head of Blackburn Rovers for nan commencement of nan 1997-98 season. He reneged connected this statement 3 months later, leaving chap early England leader Roy Hodgson to return complaint astatine Ewood Park, while Eriksson was appointed arsenic Lazio coach.

It was astatine Lazio, aft winning different Coppa Italia pinch Sampdoria successful 1994, that Eriksson won nan hearts and minds of nan FA arsenic nan hunt for Keegan's successor started.

Eriksson's Lazio won nan European Cup Winners' Cup successful 1999 pinch a 2-1 triumph complete Mallorca astatine Villa Park, having mislaid to Inter Milan successful nan erstwhile season's Uefa Cup final.

Lazio claimed nan Coppa Italia doubly past won Serie A successful 1999-2000 nether Eriksson, making him nan apical target for England.

Eriksson made a superb commencement pinch England, particularly pinch that triumph against Germany successful nan qualifying run for nan 2002 World Cup successful Japan and South Korea, though an automatic spot was only secured by David Beckham's last-ditch free-kick successful a 2-2 tie against Greece.

Indeed, Eriksson's banal was truthful precocious astir this clip that erstwhile Sir Alex Ferguson announced he would beryllium quitting Manchester United successful 2002, only to later alteration his mind, it was wide assumed nan Swede would beryllium his replacement astatine Old Trafford.

That World Cup run group nan reside for Eriksson's England career, pinch moments of committedness yet swallowed up by a consciousness of under-achievement.

The precocious constituent was a group shape triumph complete Argentina, skipper Beckham erstwhile again nan leader pinch nan only extremity from nan punishment spot underneath nan spectacular Sapporo Dome.

Beckham, however, was intelligibly not afloat complete a ft wounded and England's deficiency of fittingness haunted them successful nan searing power of Shizuoka successful nan quarter-final against Brazil.

Michael Owen gave them nan lead but goalkeeper David Seaman's correction proved decisive erstwhile he was caught severely retired of position from Ronaldinho's free-kick to give nan eventual World Cup winners a 2-1 victory.

If Eriksson was to look backmost connected 1 tourney arsenic England's large missed opportunity, past Euro 2004 successful Portugal must surely beryllium nan one.

It was nan summertime of 'Roomania' erstwhile Everton's 17-year-old striker Wayne Rooney caused a world sensation arsenic he spearheaded England's, and Eriksson's, changeable astatine glory.

After conclusion by France, Rooney scored doubly successful wins against Switzerland and Croatia to group up a quarter-final against nan hosts, only to break his ft early connected pinch England starring 1-0 done different Owen goal.

The crippled yet finished 2-2 pinch England losing connected penalties, arsenic they did against nan aforesaid opponents 2 years later astatine nan aforesaid shape of nan World Cup successful Germany.

Euro 2004 was a hopeless disappointment, nan tourney won by rank outsiders Greece arsenic England missed retired again contempt having a broadside overflowing pinch world-class players.

The 2006 World Cup was nan last curtain for Eriksson, nan head who promised truthful overmuch and had truthful overmuch talent to utilise, and yet could not make that last leap to nan first England occurrence since nan 1966 World Cup.

The extremity came a fewer months aft Eriksson fell into a Sunday tabloid newspaper's 'Fake Sheikh' sting, enjoying good eating and vintage champagne earlier delivering a bid of indiscreet revelations.

He claimed to nan News of nan World's undercover reporter that Owen was unhappy astatine Newcastle United, while he himself could time off nan England occupation to subordinate Aston Villa, luring Beckham distant from Real Madrid to Villa Park successful nan process.

Eriksson was an engaging, courteous characteristic pinch an uncanny expertise to grin arsenic he deflected distant various individual scandals, ne'er allowing his inquisitors to laic a mitt connected him. He rarely, if ever, demonstrated anger moreover successful nan tightest of spots.

He besides had a touch of steel, famously infuriating Manchester United leader Ferguson erstwhile insisting an injured Rooney would beryllium portion of nan 2006 World Cup squad erstwhile he was declared fit, whether nan awesome Scot liked it aliases not.

Eriksson's insistence backfired arsenic a disappointment Rooney, not afloat fresh aft breaking a metatarsal bony successful his ft playing for United and obscurity adjacent his best, was sent disconnected for stamping connected Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho successful that quarter-final exit successful Gelsenkirchen.

If Eriksson's clip successful complaint is examined now, those of america who followed it would opportunity he was excessively overmuch successful thrall to large names specified arsenic Beckham, still selecting him erstwhile nan midfielder was intelligibly struggling pinch injury.

He was, to an extent, starstruck. It led him to effort to battalion his broadside pinch his finest players alternatively than adopting pragmatism to get his champion team.

Eriksson wanted a midfield quartet of Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes. It was understandable, but it besides lacked balance, pinch Scholes' deployment successful an unfamiliar domiciled wide connected nan near arguably pushing a genuinely world-class talent into early world retirement.

He besides had difficulties building a unified squad pinch divisions on nine lines, particularly involving players from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, but location is nary uncertainty Eriksson could, and possibly should, person been nan head to extremity England's hold for a trophy.

Life aft England was a nomadic 1 for nan cosmopolitan Eriksson, though his adjacent extremity was still successful England arsenic he was appointed head of Manchester City successful July 2007, brought successful by caller proprietor and erstwhile Thailand president Thaksin Shinawatra.

Eriksson started well, pinch City topping nan array early on. They moreover did a convention double complete rivals Manchester United for nan first clip successful 40 years, but location was a descent and Thaksin announced successful April that nan Swede would time off astatine nan extremity of nan season.

Many City players and fans were infuriated, a last position of ninth very respectable, contempt an 8-1 nonaccomplishment astatine Middlesbrough connected nan season's last day that immoderate put down to nan squad's upset astatine nan determination to sack Eriksson.

He was hugely celebrated pinch those who worked pinch him, his well-publicised escapades distant from nan crippled really endearing him to galore of those players successful his charge, who felt it showed a quality - if somewhat flawed - broadside to his nature.

After a twelvemonth successful complaint of Mexico, Eriksson had an almost surreal spell arsenic head of shot astatine League Two broadside Notts County betwixt July 2009 and February 2010.

Lured by nan committedness of immense finances and precocious ambition, Kasper Schmeichel and Sol Campbell were attracted - nan second for only 1 crippled - earlier serious financial problems emerged arsenic a analyzable world fraud was unravelled.

Eriksson returned to world shot pinch nan Ivory Coast earlier being appointed Leicester City head successful October 2010. The Foxes vanished 10th successful his first play but a push for promotion to nan Premier League ne'er materialised and he near aft a year.

His last postings were successful nan Far East pinch 3 Chinese nine sides and nan Philippines nationalist squad earlier this astir enduring, colourful characteristic retired and returned to unrecorded successful his beloved Sweden.

And aft disclosing his terminal crab diagnosis successful January 2024, nan lifelong Liverpool instrumentality was capable to unrecorded retired 1 dream 2 months later erstwhile he managed a Liverpool Legends team successful a lucifer against Ajax astatine Anfield.

"To decorativeness pinch Liverpool, it can't beryllium overmuch amended than that," he said.