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Sheikh rattles gullible Eriksson

Eriksson has become another victim of Fleet Street’s “fake sheikh”. Tempted to the golden sands of Dubai and plied with vintage wines by an “Arab prince” with millions to spend on a Premiership club, the 57- year-old Swede launched into a series of indiscretions.

Eriksson suggested buying Aston Villa and offered to ditch the national side to manage the club, despite his contract with the Football Association running until 2008. “After 5½ years . . . it is a long time to be England manager,” he is reported to have said, adding: “Anyhow, if I win the World Cup, I will leave, goodbye.”

Sipping champagne on a 72ft luxury yacht moored in a Dubai marina, the next day he asked for a three-year contract to manage the Birmingham club that would match the £5m-a-year deal of Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager.

Eriksson, who earns £3m a year after tax to coach England, is then said to have got down to business assembling his dream team for Aston Villa. “I’ll phone (David) Beckham. Beckham and I, we have a relationship like that,” he is said to have boasted, crossing his fingers.

The normally famously discreet Swede had been flown to the Middle East with Athole Still, his agent, and Richard Des Voeux, his lawyer, and put up in the world’s only seven-star hotel as part of the elaborate sting.

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He was in expansive mood about his England players. Asked if Michael Owen, Newcastle United’s record £17m signing, was happy, he replied: “Not really with the club,” and claimed he was only there for the money.

And he claimed Beckham had had enough of Real Madrid, his Spanish club. “He wants to come to England because he is a bit frustrated. He has been there 2Å years now . . . and he doesn’t see any improvement at all in the club,” he told the “sheikh”, who was really Mazher Mahmood, a News of the World reporter.

The Football Association said last night: “We want to reflect on the article in full before we make any formal comment.”

There have been signs before that Eriksson might be unfaithful to the England team. He was photographed entering the London flat of Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea, in 2003, leading to furious speculation that he would join the club.