LONDON (AP) Sven-Goran Eriksson says he signed a contract to become Manchester United manager in 2002, just a year into his spell as England manager.
Eriksson says he couldn't turn down coaching "probably the biggest club in the world" after being asked by then-United chief executive Peter Kenyon if he wanted to replace Alex Ferguson, who had announced he'd be leaving at the end of the 2001-02 season.
Eriksson, writing in his new autobiography that is being serialized in British newspaper Mail on Sunday, says "a contract was signed I was United's new manager," only for Ferguson to make a U-turn and stay at United.
The well-traveled Swede managed England from 2001 to '06 and later took charge of United's local rival, Manchester City. He currently coaches Guangzhou R&F in China.
