Twelve years on, and Sven-Goran Eriksson still can't shake off the World Cup England left behind them in Germany. Heading to the tournament with the country's 'golden generation' in full-flow, the Swede has similarly lucid memories of his stand-off with then Manchester United boss, Alex Ferguson.
In an alternative footballing universe, Eriksson would have replaced Ferguson at United four years prior to the whole debacle; the Swede relaying in his autobiography how close he came to the United job before Ferguson's retirement u-turn in 2002.
The road not taken, Eriksson carried on with England, leading an impressive-looking team to the 2006 World Cup with dreams of ending 'forty-years of hurt.'
Key to his plans was one of Ferguson's United stars; Wayne Rooney. Having fractured a metatarsal bone in his foot just weeks before England commenced their World Cup bid, Eriksson was sweating over whether the 20-year-old talisman could travel.
In the eyes of Ferguson, the answer was clear; "For me, it was never a discussion. I would pick him. But the big problem was Sir Alex Ferguson."
Speaking in The Telegraph before England kick-off another World Cup campaign, the Swede recalled the the ferocious back-and-forth that went on between he and Ferguson, and two rivaling doctors:
We had some huge clashes and he was extremely angry. It was a Sunday, early morning at the training ground in Manchester, and there was Sir Alex and his doctor.
Sir Alex said, ‘You can’t pick him’. And the Manchester United doctor started to talk about the injury, technically.
Bringing his own specialist with him, Leif Sward, Eriksson recalls the second-opinion that so riled the Scot; "The first thing Leif said to the United doctor was, ‘Why are you talking bull****? You know it’s not true what you are saying?’"
Questioning the United doctor's authority to speak on such matter, Eriksson's fellow Swede was quick to remind him that he has "done thousands" of operations on such injuries, and Rooney may well play at the World Cup.
With the debate not quite finishing there, Eriksson recalls Ferguson's phoning him and suggesting he leaves Rooney in Manchester. Eriksson's response? "Sir Alex, take a holiday, take a break. I will take Rooney and that’s it.”
