David Beckham shares heartbreaking video and message as condolences pour in for tragically deceased former England coach Sven-Göran Eriksson

DAVID BECKHAM has shared a heartbreaking tribute video following the tragic death of former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson.

The Swede died today at the age of 76, eight months after announcing that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

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Honours poured in from all over the world for Eriksson, who coached England's “Golden Generation” between 2001 and 2006.

And Beckham, who was the former coach's captain during his tenure, paid his respects with a touching video.

A caption read: “We laughed, we cried and we knew we were saying goodbye…

“Sven, thank you for always being the person you always were: passionate, caring, calm and a true gentleman…

“I will be eternally grateful to you for making me your captain, but the last memories of this day with you and your family will be forever with me…

“Thank you, Sven, and for your last words to me: ‘Everything will be fine.'”

The heartbreaking video captured the moment Becks visited his old boss on his farm in Sweden earlier this year.

The couple enjoyed a traditional meal and six special bottles of wine together.

Eriksson said of the visit: “He came with six liters of wine from dates that were important to me.

“He had wine from 1948 – the year I was born, very nice of him. He's genuine, he could have been a great diva, but he's just the opposite.

“He ate herring and potatoes and elk meat.

“The day before, he had sent a cook to prepare the food and then he came and stayed here for a day. We sat there and talked, a lot about football.”

Beckham was not the only former England star to pay tribute to Eriksson.

Michael Owen wrote on X: “Rest in peace. One of the very best and a man who will be sorely missed throughout the football world.”

Gary Neville said: “Rest in peace, Sven.”

Wayne Rooney said: “Rest in peace, Sven. A special man.”

“Thank you for the memories and all your help and advice. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

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David James told 5Live: “Sven was such a wonderful man. I'm shocked because even though we knew the disease was fatal, you're never really prepared for the worst.”

Trevor Sinclair posted: “Devastated and eternally grateful. RIP Sven.”

Peter Crouch added: “Really sad news. What a great man he was. Sven gave me my England debut when many doubted it. I will be forever grateful to him. We will miss him.”

And players like Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand posted pictures in tribute to Eriksson.

The FA will honour Eriksson ahead of England's upcoming match against Finland. CEO Mark Bullingham said: “This is a very sad day. He has brought such special memories to all England fans.”

“Nobody will ever forget the 5-1 victory in Munich against Germany under Sven’s leadership.

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“Sven will be duly recognised and always remembered for his significant work with the England national team and his wider contribution to football.”

“On behalf of my colleagues past and present at the FA, our thoughts are with his friends and family today. He will be greatly missed and we will pay tribute to him when we play Finland at Wembley next month.”

Prince William, President of the FA, added: “It is sad to hear of the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson.

“I met him several times when he was England manager and was always impressed by his charisma and passion for the game.

“My thoughts are with his family and friends. A true gentleman of the game. W.”

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I am deeply saddened by the death of Sven-Göran Eriksson.”

“He will be remembered for his enormous contribution to English football which has brought joy to so many people over the years. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Eriksson's charismatic life and cancer diagnosis will be featured in an upcoming documentary on Amazon Prime Video.

In one clip he says: “I've had a good life. I think we all fear the day we die, but life is also about death.”

“You have to learn to accept it as it is. Hopefully, in the end, people will say: Yes, he was a good man, but not everyone will say that.”

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I hope you will remember me as a positive person who tried to do everything he could. Don't be sad, smile.

“Thank you for everything, coaches, players, spectators, it was fantastic. Take care of yourselves and take care of your life. And live it.”

In a statement this morning, Eriksson's family announced his sad death.

The children Lina and Johan said: “Our father passed away peacefully this morning in his house in Bjorkefors outside Sunne.

“He fought bravely against his illness for a long time, but now it is over.

“Sven was a good coach… better than he seems, say SunSport experts”

SunSport's Shaun Custis and Martin Lipton discussed Sven-Göran Eriksson's legacy in England following his death at the age of 76.

Custis: “He was the most polite and courteous manager I have ever dealt with in my life.”

Lipton: “There are many managers who are prone to outbursts of anger and shouting matches.

“You can't imagine Sven ever raising his voice, let alone arguing with anyone. He was a gentle man and a gentleman while he was dealing with us. And I think that was always expressed from the beginning.

“He was obviously a pretty calm, unflappable character and didn't let anything upset him, no matter what it was. No matter what questions you asked him, no matter what you accused him of. He radiated a façade of complete calm.”

Custis: “He was a big mystery. You didn't read about him online every two minutes like you do today, but he came in and made a great start with the 3-0 win against Spain.”

Lipton: “He just loved being around football, didn’t he, that was the special thing.

“He didn't want to give it up… He really loved being surrounded by football players, being a manager and all the things that come with it and just being important. Because he enjoyed being Sven-Göran Eriksson – football manager.”

Lipton: “He restored faith in the England team during that time, he gave us a night we will never forget and he oversaw a real change in the culture of English football which has led to it becoming more famous in many ways.”

“The players were getting bigger than ever and he managed to keep that somewhat under wraps… He was a better manager than I thought at the time.”

“Our thoughts are with Sven-Göran’s father Sven, his girlfriend Yaniseth and their son Alcides, his brother Lasse and his wife Jumnong, as well as all good friends and acquaintances in Sweden and around the world.

“Dad told us about his serious illness earlier this year and received an amazing response from friends and football fans across Europe. He has been invited to join several football teams in England, Italy, Portugal and Sweden.

“They shared their love of football and of dad. It was unforgettable for him and for both of us. He expressed his appreciation and joy and said that such beautiful words are usually only spoken when someone has died.”

The children added: “We shared his gratitude and witnessed the wonderful encounters between him, football and all his friends. We thank everyone for these positive memories and your support during his illness.”

“We hope you remember Svennis as the good and positive person he always was, both in public and in our home.”

Since his appointment in 2001, Eriksson was the first foreign coach of the England national team.

Eriksson played 67 games, winning 40 and losing 10.

Eriksson gave up his role as England coach after the 2006 World Cup and later coached numerous clubs at national and international level.

During his club career, he won six league titles in three different countries, including the domestic treble with Lazio in 2000.