Former and current England players, including David Beckham, paid tribute to the late Sven-Goran Eriksson, remembering him as a true gentleman. Eriksson, the first non-British manager of the England national team, passed away at the age of 76. Beckham expressed his eternal gratitude for Eriksson, who appointed him as captain in 2001. Throughout Eriksson’s tenure, Beckham led England in all but two of the 59 matches. Beckham referred to Eriksson as passionate, caring, calm, and a true gentleman. He expressed his thanks for being chosen as captain and posted a social media message along with a video of their meeting earlier this year. Beckham cherishes the memories of their last day together and Eriksson’s comforting words that “it will be okay.”
In January, Eriksson disclosed that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was given a maximum prognosis of one year to live. Beckham reflected on the emotions they shared during their final meeting, saying they laughed, cried, and knew they were bidding farewell. His message ended with gratitude towards Eriksson and thoughts of him and his family.
During Eriksson’s five-year tenure as England manager from 2001 to 2006, he led the team to the quarter-finals in three major tournaments. The Swedish manager, who also successfully coached clubs including Manchester City, Leicester, Roma, and Lazio, secured a total of 18 trophies throughout his career. Wayne Rooney, who made his England debut under Eriksson at the age of 17, described him as a special man and offered his condolences to Eriksson’s family and friends.
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