Former England captain David Beckham has paid a heartfelt tribute to Sven-Goran Eriksson after the former Three Lions manager tragically lost his battle against cancer.
Eriksson announced in January that he was suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer, with his death, at the age of 76, being announced on on Monday,
The Swede became the first non-British manager of the England team when he was appointed in 2001 and he would lead his team to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments during his five-year spell in charge.
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One of Eriksson’s first decisions after taking the England job was to name Beckham as his captain and the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man provided some of the most iconic moments of Eriksson’s tenure, including the October 2001 injury-time free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford that sealed England’s place at the 2002 World Cup and the winning goal against Argentina during the following summer’s tournament.
Beckham’s appointment as captain played a key role in the midfielder’s redemptive arc following his sending-off in the 1998 World Cup and the 49-year-old has shared a touching video and message.
“We laughed, we cried & we knew we were saying goodbye…,” he posted on Instagram alongside a video of the pair during a final meeting, believed to be at Eriksson’s home in Sweden.
“Sven thank you for always being the person you have always been, passionate, caring, calm & a true gentleman... I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain but I will forever hold these last memories of this day with you and your family... Thank you Sven and in your last words to me "It will be ok”.
Beckham’s message was one of a host of tributes that have flooded social media since the sad news of Eriksson’s passing was announced.
Eriksson himself delivered a final goodbye in a documentary that was released last week on Amazon Prime.
“I had a good life,” he said. “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.”
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