Sven Goran Eriksson: what cancer does England manager have, news, how old is he - pancreatic cancer symptoms

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and, in the "best case" scenario, only has about a year to live.

Eriksson, who managed England for five years before departing after the 2006 World Cup, resigned from his most recent position as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad 11 months ago due to health concerns.

But what sort of cancer does Eriksson have, and how old is he? Here is everything you need to know.

What is wrong with Sven-Goran Eriksson?

While it's been confirmed that Eriksson has been diagnosed with cancer, it has not yet been clarified exactly which type of cancer he is suffering from.

He told Swedish Radio P1: “Everyone can see that I have a disease that’s not good, and everyone supposes that it’s cancer, and it is. But I have to fight it as long as possible.

“I was fully healthy and then I collapsed and fainted and ended up at the hospital. And it turned out that I had cancer. The day before I had been out running five kilometres. It just came from nothing. And that makes you shocked.

“I’m not in any major pain. But I’ve been diagnosed with a disease that you can slow down but you cannot operate. So it is what it is.”

Inoperable cancers are typically those that cannot be completely removed through surgery due to various reasons, such as the tumour's location, size, or the overall health of the patient.

Common types of cancers that may be challenging to treat surgically include advanced-stage pancreatic cancer, certain types of lung cancer, and some brain tumours.

According to ESPN, Eriksson has said he has pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer often does not cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages. Common symptoms include abdominal or back pain, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, digestive problems, and fatigue.

How long does he have left?

The prognosis and life expectancy for someone with an inoperable cancer can vary based on the type and stage of cancer, as well as the individual's overall health, but each case is unique.

Eriksson has said that in the "best case" scenario, he has an estimated year to live, but that his doctors aren't entirely sure what will happen.

“I know that in the best case it’s about a year, in the worst case even less," he said. "Or in the best case I suppose even longer. I don’t think the doctors I have can be totally sure, they can’t put a day on it."

The Swede has said that he is trying to stay positive during his remaining time, and is trying to not bury himself in setbacks, "because this is the biggest setback of them all of course.”

He added: “It’s better not to think about it. You have to trick your brain. I could go around thinking about that all the time and sit at home and be miserable and think I’m unlucky and so on.

“It’s easy to end up in that position. But no, see the positive sides of things."

How old is he?

Eriksson was born on 5 February 1948, making him 75 years old at the time of writing.

Eriksson led Benfica to three Portuguese top-flight titles and a runners-up finish in the European Cup before guiding Lazio to their second and most recent Serie A triumph in 1999-2000.

He succeeded Kevin Keegan as England boss in January 2001, taking charge of the country’s so-called golden generation – the label attached to a group of players who were thriving for their clubs.

Despite a wealth of talent to call upon including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, Eriksson presided over quarter-final exits at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as at Euro 2004.

His intrepid career since leaving the England job has taken in stints at Manchester City and Leicester, as well as spells in charge of the Mexico, Ivory Coast and Philippines national teams.