Sven-Goran Eriksson given fitting Liverpool send off at funeral for former England boss

Sven-Goran Eriksson was given a touching Liverpool send-off with a brass rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone as the former England manager was laid to rest at his funeral in Sweden.

Hundreds of mourners gathered in Torsby to pay their final respects to Eriksson, who died at the age of 76 last month following a battle with cancer. Former England captain David Beckham and ex-Three Lions and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson were among those in attendance.

Having announced his illness back in January, Eriksson was given the chance to fulfill his lifelong dream of managing at Anfield when he managed Liverpool during a Legends game in March. The Swede was a lifelong supporter of the Reds, with the eulogy making reference to his appearance on Merseyside earlier this year.

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"To sit on the bench for Liverpool, that's been my dream my whole life. Now it happened, and it was a beautiful day in all meanings," Eriksson said after that game.

"The crowd, the game, the players, everything, fantastic, and thank you to Liverpool for giving me this opportunity, to invite me for such an important game - it's not points, but the importance of the game is incredible.

"It was full of emotions, tears coming. It's been my dream club all my life - even when I had England, I also supported Liverpool, but I couldn't say it at that time. It's a good finish, to finish with Liverpool, it can't be much better than that."

And there was more evidence of his love for Liverpool at his funeral, with a brass band playing a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone – the club’s anthem – as the procession assembled at Fryksande church. Eriksson’s coffin was given a guard of honor as it was placed in the hearse before being taken to Kollsbergs hembygdsgard.

Eriksson is of course best remembered in England for his spell in charge of the national team, having become the Three Lions’ first ever non-British manager. He led them to three quarter-final finishes at major tournaments during a five-year spell in charge. He will also be remembered for spells with the likes of Lazio, Manchester City, Leicester and Roma, winning 18 trophies during his career.

Liverpool.com says: A fitting send-off for Sven, and great that he managed to achieve his dream of managing at Anfield before his passing. Liverpool obviously meant a lot to him, and there isn’t a much more fitting send-off than You’ll Never Walk Alone. Rest in peace, Sven.