Keep of front pages, Eriksson tells players
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson does not want his players making front-page headlines in the run up to next summer’s World Cup in Germany.
Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney have all featured on the front pages of newspapers for reasons other than their football skills.
Eriksson himself is no stranger to that type of exposure but told The Sun: “We don’t want front pages, we want back pages. It is very easy for young boys, 18 or 19, to take a wrong step now and again. You got away with that 20 years ago but not now – it’s on the front page.
“Coaching, education and the code of conduct are important now and will become more and more important.”
Eriksson believes football agents have now got a big role to play in advising players on money and behaviour.
“I was hearing 20 years ago that salaries were too high and must go down. But now, they are 1,000% higher.
“To be a big star you have to have everything. You have to have technique, be tactically aware and mentally very strong.
“You have to have a very good agent that gives you the right advice about money and behaviour. The coach can’t do everything now. He can’t be the dad.”
