He managed the English national side from 2001 to 2006.

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has died at the age of 76.

A statement on his official website confirmed he had died on Monday morning, surrounded by his family.

The Swede, who had been battling cancer, was the first foreign manager of the English national side, taking charge of 67 matches from 2001 to 2006.

He led England to the quarter-finals of three major tournaments in succession, including the World Cups of 2002 and 2006.

He was appointed after a successful career in club management, notably in Italy, where he won a Serie A and cup double, as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup, with Lazio.

He returned to the World Cup with Ivory Coast in 2010 and also had spells in charge of Manchester City and Leicester among stints in several other countries in a lengthy career.

He was never far away from the headlines during his time in England where, apart from football, his private life was a seemingly endless source of fascination for newspapers.