Sven-Goran Eriksson, 76, reveals doctors can’t tell him how long he has left as the terminally-ill former England boss opens up on battle with pancreatic cancer
- Sven-Goran Eriksson announced in January that he was terminally ill and had cancer
- The former England manager wants to enjoy the time he has left
- He says even his doctors don’t know at this point how long that will last
Sven-Goran Erikkson admits he doesn’t know how long he has left, as even his doctors have no answers.
The former England manager stunned the football world in January when he announced he had ‘about a year’ to live and was suffering from pancreatic cancer.
And he gave concerned fans an update on his health in his column for The Telegraph.
“If you ask the doctors how long I have left, they cannot give an answer,” the Swede wrote. Does that worry me? I think it’s better not to know.
‘It’s a bit up and down from day to day. Some mornings I wake up feeling completely perfect. Well, almost, and the other mornings it’s a problem. But the good days are still there and I’m doing well.
Sven-Goran Erikkson (left) has revealed that his doctors do not know how long he has left
‘I have travelled all over Sweden, England, Italy and Portugal and have had tears in my eyes so many times over the kindness of the people.
‘You usually notice that everyone talks well about people when they are dead. I’m lucky that they talk well about me as long as I’m alive.’
Eriksson managed England between 2001 and 2006, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as well as the round of 16 of the 2004 European Championship.
Last week he revealed that David Beckham recently paid him a memorable visit to his farm.
Eriksson, 76, was Beckham’s manager for the England national team for more than five years, between 2001 and 2006.
Eriksson wants to make the most of every day after being diagnosed with terminal cancer
Beckham was captain of the Three Lions at the time and the two were known to be very close.
Their friendship seems to have continued since then, as they recently spent a day together at Eriksson’s farm.
Speaking to Radio Sweden’s P4 Varmland last week about his recent reunion with Beckham, Eriksson said: ‘He came with six liters of wine from dates that were important to me.
‘He had wine from 1948 – the year I was born, very nice of him. He’s sincere, he could have been a big diva, but he’s the opposite.”