Former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has said his terminal cancer diagnosis came as a “shock” – but vowed to fight against it and not “give up”.

He said the alternative was to sit alone at home – and although he and his family have accepted the inevitable, they are dealing with the news and talk every day.

The 75-year-old Swede was told by doctors he has pancreatic cancer and has “at best a year to live”.

“In the beginning it was very difficult to accept it, but once you accept it life goes on, and life has to go on,” Eriksson told TalkTV on Friday.

He was given the news after collapsing and fainting following a 5km run the day before. His children took him to a hospital and after four hours of tests he was given the diagnosis.

“I felt totally well – it came like a very, very, very big surprise,” he said.

“When you get a message like that it’s like a shock because I was fully fit, and rather fit as well in training. It came from nowhere.”

He continued: “Of course you feel very bad… but you have to fight against it, and that’s what I am trying to do at least.”

The cancer is inoperable so he is now on medication to slow down its progression, but it has spread, he said.

“But sooner or later it will happen. Let’s hope later than sooner,” he continued.

Asked how his family had dealt with the news, he said: “We have to deal with it because the alternative is to give up, and sitting alone at home.

“So, the whole family, the children, they are grown up of course – one lives in Spain, one lives in Stockholm – so they are coming as often as they can, and we talk every day.”

After being diagnosed with cancer, Eriksson disclosed he had suffered “five strokes in one day – small ones”.

The former Manchester City and Leicester manager told Swedish Radio P1: “I’m not in any major pain. But I’ve been diagnosed with a disease that you can slow down but you cannot operate. So it is what it is.”

Between 2001 and 2006, Eriksson coached the so-called “golden generation” of footballers in the England men’s team including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.

He led England to three consecutive quarter-finals at major tournaments and was manager in one of their most famous results, a 5-1 win over Germany in Munich in September 2001.

Read more from Sky News:
Police release new images of missing woman
At least five killed after UK-US strikes on Yemen
Temperatures to plummet to -5C, bringing risk of ‘substantial snow’

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

His last coaching role was with the Philippines’ national team in 2018-19.

Eriksson resigned as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad Football 11 months ago due to health issues.

He said he still watches an “incredible amount” of football and remains in contact with Karlstad – who are in the third tier of the Swedish league system.

Eriksson said: “Football has been like a poison for me. A good poison.

“My divorce many years ago was partly due to the football. My wife at the time wanted me to get a job where we could live more spontaneously and be free some Saturdays or Sundays. But I couldn’t imagine that.

“I would never have changed that decision [to make football my life] if I had got to live again.”

Related posts:

New rail pass and vouchers for tourist attractions part of tourism recovery plan How the England and Italy players rated in the Euro 2020 final ‘It starts at the top’: PM’s burka comments highlighted amid condemnation of football racism Government U-turn over water firms dumping raw sewage after fierce backlash Second Cabinet minister suggests tax cut should be brought forward ‘when we can afford it’ More warm weather on the way as temperatures may hit 23C on Saturday ‘It’s really worrying’: Hundreds of community pharmacies ‘could close due to rising costs’ Pair arrested on suspicion of murdering two-year-old girl in Ipswich Body found in search for hiker who vanished seven weeks ago How paedophile police officer – with victims as young as 10 – was brought to justice Flood-hit areas face fresh downpours as new yellow weather alert issued ‘Touching’ to see ‘so many’ pay respects to four boys killed in crash