Former England football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson has revealed that he has been sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer and only has "at best a year to live".
The 75-year-old ex-Premier League and EFL coach confirmed his devastating news during an interview on Swedish radio earlier this week.
He is, of course, best known to football fans around the world as the Three Lions boss between 2001-2006, where he took charge of the so-called 'Golden Generation' of English footballers at the time, including Beckham, Owen, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, and many more.
Eriksson led the star-studded national team to two World Cup tournaments during his reign, as well as EURO 2004 when England suffered a heartbreaking and controversial loss to Portugal on penalties.
Eriksson reveals terminal cancer diagnosis with only 'a year to live' (Credit via Flick/England Football)
Aside from his England duties, Eriksson has also managed a number of other notable clubs throughout his career, including Manchester City, Leicester, Benfica and Lazio, as well as sides in Sweden, China, the Phillippines and the Ivory Coast national team.
Many fans grew concerned after Eriksson resigned as the Sporting Director at Swedish club, Karlstad Football, 11 months ago now.
News reports simply cited "health issues" at the time and now it appears the nature of the problem was much more serious than first thought, having now been unfortunately diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
"Everyone understands that I have an illness that is not good. "Everyone guesses it's cancer and it is - but I have to fight as long as I can.", he told Swedish radio station Sveriges Radio P1 during a candid interview.
When asked more about the condition, Eriksson did not disclose which type of cancer he has been diagnosed with, but he did unfortunately reveal he only has "at best a year" to live, and "at worst, even less".
"Or in the best case, I suppose even longer. I don't think the doctors I have can be totally sure, they can't put a day on it,... [so] it's better not to think about it.
"You have to trick your brain.
"I could go around thinking about that all the time and sit at home and be miserable and think I'm unlucky and so on. It's easy to end up in that position. But no, see the positive sides of things and don't bury yourself in setbacks, because this is the biggest setback of them all of course."
The final go-ahead is expected to be given for work to start on a major new £15million sports hub in Holbeck.
Senior councillors are expected to give the approval next Wednesday 11 March at an executive board meeting.
An agreement will be made on a contractor to complete the work which will bring state-of-the-art sports pitches and a community space to the city.
Holbeck Sports Hub will provide three full-size artificial grass football pitches, two multi-use games areas and a building with changing rooms and a café.
Image: Supplied
Work is expected to begin in August 2026 and is set to be built at the site of the former Matthew Murray High School.
The plan is to also provide a home to a new GP surgery as well as a children’s play area and walking and running routes through the green space which sits off Brown Lane East and Ingram Road.
Image: Supplied
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “We look forward to the work starting on the Holbeck Sports Hub, which will be a significant asset to the local community and residents in south Leeds.
“It will provide affordable and accessible quality sports pitches, providing more opportunities for physical activity and play and spaces to meet up and connect.
“We are also working towards an agreement with a GP practice so that the area can benefit from new high-quality healthcare provision to meet the needs of the community.”
The programme is joint funded by the Football Foundation and Leeds City Council capital funding.
New grassroots music space aiming to make DJing and music more accessible opening in Headingley this month
Clementine Hall
A new grassroots music space is opening in Headingley with a mission to make DJing, vinyl and music culture more accessible.
Meanhood Studios, founded by long-time LS6 residents Jim and Katie Young, will combine a professional DJ rehearsal studio, record shop, performance space and tuition hub all under one roof.
Their aim is simple, "to level the playing field in a scene that has often felt exclusive and gatekept.”
Meanhood started as a guerrilla pop-up record shop in lockdown when Jim started selling records from his personal collection.
Built solely on quality and word-of-mouth reputation, the venture quickly grew into a respected local record spot known for its carefully curated vinyl selection.
Images: Supplied
Jim’s roots trace back to Manchester’s late-90s free party scene, he began DJing at 17 and from Hyde Park house parties to residencies at legendary clubs, he went on to host nights featuring artists who would later become major names in UK dance music.
Katie grew up in rural Cumbria, discovering music through pirate radio, library tapes and out-of-town raves. After moving to Leeds for university, she built a 20-year corporate career while supporting events, fly-posting for club nights and working behind the scenes.
“DJing is so much more than pushing buttons,” says Jim. “You’ve got to love it when no one’s watching. We want to share that knowledge and remove some of the barriers we experienced.”
Meanhood Studios will open on Friday 13 March and will offer access to equipment, rehearsal space, vinyl records and tuition for aspiring DJs and music lovers.
It's more important now than ever to support grassroots music venues, and we can't wait to check out this new space.
Danny Jones -
11th January 2024 
