Football News Live – Tributes pour in for Sven-Goran Eriksson as former England manager dies aged 76

DAVID JAMES PAYS TRIBUTE TO FORMER ENGLAND MANAGER

Former Three Lions goalkeeper David James, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “When Sven Goran-Eriksson took over the England job I had played the previous game and I didn’t have the best of games. He pulled me to one side for the next match and said ‘I am going to play David [Seaman]’.

“He then said, ‘you are really young and you’ll have plenty of opportunity in the future’ – he then picked me a number of times, including Euro 2004.

“One thing I used to laugh at – when we used to watch videos of the opposition, quite often the goalkeeper would make a mistake and he’d say, ‘he won’t be playing next game!’.

“The way he dropped me, he was always honest and straight – he gave you a belief there would be another opportunity.

“Sven was such a wonderful man. [I am] shocked because as much as we knew that the illness was terminal, you’re never quite prepared for the eventuality.”