The late Sven-Goran Eriksson did everything he could to defend Wayne Rooney when he was in charge of England. Eriksson passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Rooney, who is now the manager of Plymouth Argyle , was one of the first of his former players to issue a heartfelt tribute to the Swede.
The former Three Lions boss was the first manager to take a chance on the Manchester United legend, deploying him at Euro 2004 when he was just a teenager and the 2006 World Cup, despite suffering a metatarsal fracture on the eve of the tournament in Germany. Rooney was also sent off in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal, which went on to cost the Three Lions a place in the semi-final. But while being knocked out by the Portuguese for a second consecutive major competition went on to be Eriksson's final game in the job, the Swede immediately looked to defend the young striker.
When the red mist descended on Rooney after he trod on Ricardo Carvalho's crutch, Eriksson remembered the public vitriol David Beckham experienced when he was sent off in a similar manner in the 1998 World Cup. He recalled the national hatred which greeted Beckham when he returned to the country. Determined to ensure Rooney would not receive such a welcome, Eriksson did his best to shield Rooney from similar treatment.
In his final press conference as manager, Eriksson said: "You, more than me, need Wayne Rooney in the next few years so, please, pay attention. “Don't kill .