Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has claimed he signed a deal to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
While Ferguson only handed over the reins at Old Trafford ahead of the current campaign, he had at one point said that he would step aside a decade earlier in 2002.
It was then that Eriksson, the Three Lions boss at the time, says that he agreed to replace the Scot when he retired.
"I knew it would be tricky. I had a contract with England until the 2006 World Cup and I would be severely criticised if I broke that contract," he said in an extract from his autobiography which was reproduced in the Mail on Sunday.
"But this was an opportunity to manage Manchester United. A contract was signed - I was United's new manager."
Eriksson later went on to manger United's local rivals, Manchester City.
The Swede also alleges that Ferguson and the United medical staff attempted to have Wayne Rooney ruled out of the 2006 World Cup after he suffered a broken foot.
Eriksson claims that he and England doctor Leif Sward met with Ferguson to discuss the matter after Ferguson had said the player would be unavailable.
"Leif and I met Ferguson and United's doctor at the United training ground. 'He cannot play in the World Cup', Ferguson said flatly. The doctor brought out some X-rays that he said showed Rooney's broken bone would not heal in time," he said.
"When the doctor finished, Leif looked him in the eye. 'Why do you sit here and lie to me?' Leif asked.
"He was one of Europe's foremost specialists on this kind of injury. I just wish I could have filmed Ferguson's face when Leif explained that Wayne's break would heal in time for the World Cup.
"When Leif had finished, I turned to Ferguson. 'Sorry, Alex,' I said. 'I will pick Rooney'."
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