Sven-Goran Eriksson dies aged 76 after battle with cancer

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away at the age of 76. The lifelong Liverpool fan, who also took charge of Manchester City and Leicester City during a decades-long career that took him across the world, was diagnosed with a terminal illness last year.

Eriksson announced back in January that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had around a year left to live before being invited to fulfill a career ambition to take charge of a Liverpool team at Anfield when he was asked to coach the Reds legends against Ajax in March for the LFC Foundation.

On Monday morning it was confirmed the former Three Lions' boss had passed away, which comes days after the details of a new Prime Video documentary, in which the Swede reflects on his storied football journey that has seen him manage in places like Italy, Mexico, China, Ivory Coast and the Philippines. He is best remembered in England for his five-year stint with the Three Lions that saw him beaten at the quarter-final stages of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004, to Brazil and Portugal, respectively.

"I had a good life," Mr Eriksson says in the documentary. "I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well. You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully at the end people will say, yeah, he was a good man, but everyone will not say that.

"I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do. 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. Bye."

Eriksson revealed earlier this year that it was his dream to coach at Anfield, telling Sky News: "My father is still alive and is still a Liverpool supporter, and I'm a Liverpool supporter as well, I've always been. So I always wished to be the manager of Liverpool, and that will not happen for sure, but I'm still a Liverpool fan."

Asked about Eriksson's revelation shortly after, then manager Jurgen Klopp invited him down to the club's AXA Training Centre in Kirkby as momentum gathered for Liverpool to ask the coach to oversee their charity match with Ajax during the March international break earlier this year.

"I know him without knowing him, we never met," Klopp said at the time. "As far as I know. Yes, it was obviously very touching news when you heard about it. I heard for the first time about his admiration or love for Liverpool and that he was a fan for his whole life. So I heard now about the legends match and stuff like that.

"I’m not in charge of that so I can’t say anything about that. The only thing I can say is absolutely he’s very welcome to come here and he can sit in my seat in my office and do my job for a day if he wants. That’s no problem. Being on the sideline might be a little bit more difficult.

"To have him here and show him everything and how this wonderful club developed over the years, I think that’s definitely something we will tell him. He can come over and have a few wonderful hours here I’m sure."

Sitting alongside Fernando Torres after the 4-2 over Ajax's legends in March, Eriksson said: “That will be a huge memory in life. Absolutely beautiful. 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.

"The crowd, the game, the players, everything, fantastic, and thank you to Liverpool for giving me this opportunity, to invite me for such an important game – it’s not points but the importance of the game is incredible.

“It was full of emotions, tears coming. It’s been my dream club all my life – even when I had England, I also supported Liverpool, but I couldn’t say it at that time. It’s a good finish, to finish with Liverpool, it can’t be much better than that.”