Former Lazio and England coach Sven Goran Eriksson updates supporters on his terminal cancer and relishes a dream come true by becoming Liverpool manager. ‘I am lucky people are telling me how good I was while I am still alive.’

The 76-year-old Swede shared the news of his diagnosis earlier this year and there was an outpouring of love and support from his former teams, including Lazio.

Now he is making a lifetime dream come true by sitting on the Liverpool FC bench at Anfield, albeit only for today’s charity football match in charge of Liverpool Legends against Ajax Legends.

“When I was a manager I always dreamed about [managing] Liverpool but it never happened,” he told the BBC.

“It was close once. There were some discussions once, many years ago.

“It’s like a dream. I could never have dreamed of it. It must be the best atmosphere in the world and part of that is the song when the players walk out – You’ll Never Walk Alone.

“When they asked, I thought it was a joke. Of course I would come to a Legends match. It is for charity, which makes it even more lovely.”

Eriksson also spoke to CNN about his condition and the love that has come from the supporters and colleagues after hearing the diagnosis.

“It’s some sort of a fight, but I am not sitting in a corner crying. I am living the life I had before, almost, and I am still on my feet.

“The reaction was fantastic, I am a little bit lucky they are telling me how good I was while I am still alive, usually it’s after the funeral!

“I am OK, I shall not complain.”

Looking back over his career, what did Eriksson see as the highlight of his time in football?

“Some highlights, Goteborg becoming the only Swedish team to win in Europe, getting the England job, probably the biggest in the world, winning the League with Lazio, winning the League with Benfica. I had very good times.

“All my life I was a Liverpool supporter, I got it from my father. I said that it would be my dream to manage Liverpool, they called and asked if I wanted to come in and I said, of course, yes!

“I am not in great condition, so I cannot run around, but then I never really did run around on the touchline. I look forward to it.”

Eriksson was at Lazio from 1997 to December 2000, but this was not his only Serie A experience, as he was also at the helm of Roma from 1984-87, Fiorentina until 1989 and Sampdoria from 1992 to 1997.

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