Eriksson accepts Notts County job

Former England and Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has joined English Division Two club Notts County as director of football, the club confirmed on Wednesday.

The League Two (fourth division) club said the 61-year-old Swede would be joined by his long-term assistant Tord Grip, who will assume the role of general adviser.

The world’s oldest professional football club were recently taken over by a Middle Eastern consortium and had been in talks with Eriksson about taking up a senior position with the club.

“Sven will assume his role with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement. “He will be joining with his long-term assistant Tord Grip, who will assume the role of general advisor.”

Eriksson will look after the club’s youth academy as well as player development, transfer negotiations and building overseas links.

The Swede is looking forward to the challenge.

“I am particularly attracted to this role and the unique opportunity to help build a club over the longer term,” he said.

“I will be responsible for all aspects of the football side of the club and in line with the aspirations of the new owners, wish to build the club at the heart of the community.

“We hope to leave a long and lasting legacy for Notts County and its fans.”

The appointment of Eriksson comes as a surprise as the Swede has been one of the leading managers in football over the last two decades.

After achieving the league and cup double in Sweden, Portugal and Italy he left Lazio to become England’s first foreign manager.

Quarter-final exits in the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 followed, and he had already announced his departure before England’s disappointing 2006 World Cup campaign, again ended in the last eight.

His single season as Manchester City manager, 2007-08, should be seen as a success but he parted company with the club, who were poised for a Middle Eastern takeover of their own, and was announced as the new head coach of Mexico in June last year.

That appointment turned out to be the least successful of his career and several disappointing results in their World Cup qualifying campaign led to his sacking.

County only narrowly avoided relegation from League Two last season, but Middle East investors Munto Finance Ltd have made it clear they have ambitious plans for the Nottingham club which was founded in 1862.