Sven-Goran Eriksson, charismatic England coach, dies at 76

He was the first foreigner to lead the English national team

FILE PHOTO: Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson waves to fans after joining Notts County FC as director of football in Nottingham, central England Jul 22, 2009. Eriksson has described his next challenge as director of football at English League Two (fourth division) club Notts County as his toughest test yet. REUTERS/Darren Staples/File Photo

Swedish football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who became the first foreigner to lead the England national team, died on Monday at the age of 76, his agent said.

Eriksson, a charismatic coach who led Swedish, Portuguese and Italian clubs to major trophies in the 1980s and 1990s before taking on the England job in 2001, announced earlier this year that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer.

His agent Bo Gustavsson told Reuters he had passed away Monday morning.

Eriksson led England to quarter finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and at the 2004 European Championship, managing a golden generation of players, including David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.