Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson has revealed he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The 75-year-old told Sweden's P1 radio station that he fears he may have ‘a little less’ than a year left to live but added: “I have to fight as long as possible.”
Eriksson, who managed England for five years before leaving after the 2006 World Cup, stood down from his most recent role as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad 11 months ago due to health issues.
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The Swede said in February last year that he would be leaving football in order to 'focus on my health and family' prompting speculation about his health.
In the interview with P1 he shared: “Everyone understands that I have an illness that is not good. Everyone guessed it's cancer and it is. But I have to fight as long as I can.”
Eriksson said he was given the diagnosis last year, when he collapsed after a run and underwent tests.
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He was told by medics that he had a stroke and had cancer - Eriksson told the radio station that he may have had the cancer ‘maybe a month or year’ before he was given his diagnosis.
When asked about his prognosis he explained: “I know that in the best case it’s about a year, in the worst case even less. Or in the best case I suppose even longer. I don’t think the doctors I have can be totally sure, they can’t put a day on it.
“It’s better not to think about it. You have to trick your brain. I could go around thinking about that all the time and sit at home and be miserable and think I’m unlucky and so on.
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“It’s easy to end up in that position. But no, see the positive sides of things and don’t bury yourself in setbacks, because this is the biggest setback of them all of course.”
Eriksson managed England during the so-called ‘golden generation’ of footballers, including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
Despite qualifying in 2002, 2004 and 2006, the team never made it past the quarter finals.
Eriksson has had a lengthy career in football, with stints managing Mexico, Philippines, and the Ivory Coast as well as Manchester City and Leicester City and numerous clubs in Sweden.
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He won both the UEFA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup as well as several trophies in the Swedish league.
Topics: Sport, World News
Claire Reid