Via LFC
Sven-Goran Eriksson described his emotions as he prepares to fulfil a long-held ambition of taking charge of a Liverpool side at Anfield.
The 76-year-old is part of Liverpool FC Legends' management team for Saturday's encounter with their AFC Ajax counterparts in the annual LFC Foundation charity match
Eriksson's love for the Reds was passed down to him by his father in his native Sweden and numerous visits to Merseyside during his distinguished managerial career further cemented that connection to the club.
Speaking at a press conference today to preview the occasion,
Eriksson said:
"My father was a Liverpool fan, he's still a Liverpool fan – he still lives – so it came from there.
"Then in Sweden they started [a TV show] so every Saturday you could see one game. This is when all the games went on Saturday, so Liverpool, Liverpool.
"[In] '79, something like that I think, I wrote to the club and asked if I could come to see a training session.
"They answered and invited me. I saw a game and saw some training, I had the honour to go into the Boot Room of Liverpool at that time and that was great, fantastic.
"Many, many years Liverpool dominated the football in Europe. I played them twice with Benfica.
"We lost here 1-0, so we went back and said, 'Now we take them in the second [leg].' It was a quarter-final in the European Cup. We lost 5-1 at home! They are still doing great."
On being in the Anfield dugout alongside John Aldridge, John Barnes and Ian Rush,
Eriksson continued:
"It's like a dream and I could never have dreamt about that.
"But when I was manager, I always dreamt about Liverpool but it never happened. It was close once.
"There were some discussions once. It was many years ago. It never happened but now it happens.
"When they asked [for the legends game], I thought it was a joke. I said, 'Of course I will come to that.' And then it's a charity [game], which makes it even more lovely. It will be great to see.
"I think it must be the best atmosphere in the world in all the football stadiums I've been to.
"Part of that is the song when the players come out, You'll Never Walk Alone. That makes me like this [rubs arm] even today and I've seen it live so many times and on television.
"The atmosphere is incredible."
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