Sven pondered picking foreigners for England
Reuters - Tuesday 30 September 2008, 11:58
LONDON - Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson considered including foreign-born players in his England teams, according to David Davies, the former executive director of the Football Association.
Davies, who spent 12 years at the FA and whose book "FA Confidential" is being serialised in the Daily Mail, says that Eriksson suggested four players who were uncapped by their countries and could legally be brought into the England team under FIFA's eligibility rules.
The Swede suggested Chelsea's Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, Brazilian midfielder Edu, then of Arsenal, and Belgian-born Frenchman Steed Malbranque of Fulham and Louis Saha who was then at Manchester United.
None of them appeared for England, although Edu and Saha were eventually capped by their own countries.
Davies writes: "'I like Carlo Cudicini', Sven told me - an opinion which led to a very serious consideration being given within Soho Square to recruiting Chelsea's Italian goalkeeper.
"However, our goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence was particularly concerned, insisting to Sven it would destroy our keepers.
"Can you also find out about Malbranque, Edu and Saha?' Sven asked me. I wasn't sure what the public reaction would be to an Italian, a Brazilian and two Frenchmen coming into the squad but I did Sven's bidding.
"However, all my discreet enquiries to clubs and agents led to nothing. Miraculously, the moment our interest became known Saha and Edu were called up by their own nations, making them ineligible."
Davies says that Eriksson, whose reign as England boss ended in 2006 and after one season with Manchester City is now in charge of Mexico, pondered the idea after England's elimination at the quarter-final stage of Euro 2004 in Portugal.
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