Eriksson hopes deal will end speculation

England head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson today pledged himself to the England team for the next four years and said he hoped it would kill speculation about a possible move to Chelsea.

The Swede sat side by side at a dramatic news conference with Football Association chief executive Mark Palios, who announced that Eriksson would sign a new contract taking him through to the summer of 2008, two years longer than his existing deal.

FA chiefs plainly hoped this would end the furore surrounding the future of the manager after he was photographed at Chelsea chief Peter Kenyon’s London apartment.

Eriksson acknowledged that he had himself made the speculation worse and apologised to any England fans who thought he was disloyal.

Mr Palios said: "This is excellent news for the England team, the millions of England supporters and also for everyone connected with the Football Association.

“The FA identified Sven as the right coach to lead us, not only for the Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal this summer, but also to the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and beyond.

“We recognise that he is one of the best managers in the world. Sven has the best record of recent England managers, and we wanted to continue with him in situ.

“His relationship with the players is a strong element, we think that will be a tremendous feature as we look forward to Euro 2004. I hope the whole country will get behind Sven and the team for Euro 2004.”

The pair smiled happily for photographers and shook hands warmly at the start of the news conference at a hotel outside St Albans, Hertfordshire.

At the start of the news conference, somebody’s mobile phone rang, and Mr Palios quipped: “If that’s another club by the way, they’re too late.”

Asked if he had been put under “undue pressure” to sign the deal, Eriksson said: “I don’t think pressure is the right word, in an ideal world I would like to have waited until after Euro 2004, but I think that would be impossible with all the speculation going on. What I have done is the best thing.”

Asked if he had added to that speculation, he added: “For sure, I have. Where I come from, to listen to other people, other clubs, is ambition.

"But here it is impossible, so when it came out that I met some people, and there were rumours, the best thing is to try to kill everything. Here I am, and I’m happy.”