The 75-year-old Swede revealed this week he has pancreatic cancer. ITV News’ North of England Correspondent Rachel Townsend reports
Sven-Goran Eriksson has said he will not ‘give up’ and is determined to live a normal life after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
The 75-year-old Swede was informed by doctors he had pancreatic cancer and while there are treatments to slow down its progression and help manage symptoms, there is no cure.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he revealed he and his family’s shock when one day he fainted, was told he had four mini strokes and then was diagnosed with the terminal illness.
He now says his aim is to live the rest of his life “as normally as much as he can”.
Eriksson said: “It came from nowhere, a shock for me the children the whole family .
“You have to work with it, and don’t think about it 24 hours a day and don’t sit at home and do nothing, live your life as normal as possible as long as you can.
“I refuse to give up, I want to live every day a normal life.
“I can’t run a marathon but I can go to the gym, I can do exercise as I always did, I can have visitors here in the house. I want to live normally.
“The aim for the rest of my life is to wake up in the morning and feel okay and most of the morning I feel okay, its not good but its as good as it can be.
“I’m not complaining but I refuse to sit down crying, feeling sorry for myself,” he added.
When asked how he was planning to fill his days Eriksson was spending time with his friends and hoped to travel to England to see the football team take on Brazil in a World Cup friendly in March.
This weekend, he revealed he had always wanted to manage Liverpool FC, after being a life-long supporter of the club.
Fans have called on the team’s bosses to let him manage the the Legends charity match at home in March, against Ajax.
When asked if he would accept the post, Eriksson said: I’m invited to see that game and that would be great because there will be a lot of great footballers there but I should be their manager? No, I’ve never heard that.”
“I would accept of course! That’s always been my dream but like a dream, I’m not complaining, I’ve had a lot of good football teams – national teams and the clubs so I’m happy.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
