‘Sven-Göran Eriksson and I are responsible for the birth of the 2006 Baden-Baden WAGs, we created a masterplan to make them even more famous than the footballers’, writes LIZZIE CUNDY

I was so sad to hear of Sven-Göran Eriksson’s passing. He was genuinely lovely and I have a lot to thank him for. 

The former England football manager died aged 76 surrounded by his family on Monday after becoming terminally ill with pancreatic cancer.

Apart from being a phenomenal manager, he was indeed someone very special – especially to me.

22 years ago it was 2006 and there was a new excitement in the air as the World Cup in Germany loomed. 

You had superstar players like David Beckham and a fresh, eager young chap called Wayne Rooney, who was a maverick and had the skills of a new Pele. 

The former England football manager died aged 76 surrounded by his family on Monday after becoming terminally ill with pancreatic cancer

‘Sven and I are responsible for the birth of the 2006 Baden-Baden WAGs, we created a plan to make them even more famous than the footballers’ (pictured Cheryl and Victoria Beckham) 

I could see the interest rising from all over the world about the England squad, but it wasn’t the footballers – it was their wives and girlfriends.

The excitement was something I had not seen before or ever felt before with an England team and the icing on the cake was we had Sven as our new England manager. 

We had David Beckham married to Posh Spice Victoria, Ashley Cole with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole, then there was Wayne with his childhood sweetheart Coleen and, of course, there was the Queen bee, Sven’s partner Nancy Dell’Olio.

I could just smell it. The girls were going to have so much interest in them and it might be business. I really could sense this World Cup would be different.

My friend, who was an estate agent for many of the footballers, said he was going to  to meet Sven and I begged him to give Sven my number as I had an idea. 

They looked worried and thought “oh no not another mad Lizzie idea”. 

But the next day, I got a call from the one and only Sven. I actually had not expected him to call so promptly or at all. 

I wasn’t prepared but I did what I do best and just shot from my hip.

You had superstar players like David Beckham and a fresh, eager young chap called Wayne Rooney , who was a maverick – but I told Sven people would be more interested in the WAGs  

(L-R) Lisa Roughead, Rebecca Robinson, Emma Hadfield, Nicola Carragher, Elen Rivas, Carly Zucker, Michaela Henderson-Thynne, Coleen Rooney, Alex Curran and Toni Poole

I said to him: “I think the footballers’ wives are going to be a huge hit at the World Cup

“You’ve got superstars there, the girls are going to make great press and I would love to do interviews with them about the World Cup. 

He didn’t speak for a few seconds which felt like eternity. But then, Sven said ” I think it’s a brilliant idea that all the wives are out there and that you do as much on the footballers wives and partners as you can.” 

‘I said to him “really? don’t you think it will be a distraction?” Sven replied: “no, not at all. In fact it will be the reverse. The attention will be on them and not on my players so make it happen. 

Sven obviously understood what the press were going to be like and that actually this was quite a masterplan. 

I contacted ITV and booked my ticket to Baden Baden… the rest is history.

The WAGs were born.

Little did Sven and myself know what a phenomenon the WAGs would be.

I had never seen anything like it in my life. It was like the Beatles had come to town. 

Lizzie was a WAG herself. She married Chelsea footballer Jason Cundy  in 1994 but they divorced in 2012. They have two children together (pictured in 2009) 

It wasn’t about the footballers or what happened on the pitch, it was about the WAGs, what designer brands they were wearing, what brands, what they were up to and even the cocktails they were drinking … it was pandemonium. 

Nothing could have prepared us for all the wags for the attention they received. When I saw Sven later on I actually apologised to him and said I didn’t realise the papers would go so crazy for the footballers wives.  

 He looked at me with that sparkle glint in his eye and said softly with a grin “yes wasn’t it fantastic”.

From that World Cup, whether the girls liked the term WAG or not, many of the girls went on to have huge careers and became household names. 

They got huge brand deals, big TV shows and  glossy magazine deals. 

For me, I went on to work with ITV, do many huge shows even one even called WAGs world.

Some may laugh but it made me a living and I loved it. Sven made it happen.

Unlike many other England managers, he thought outside the box and he was a true maverick. 

Most of all, he was a gentlemen and I will remember him as that genuine lovely guy

I’m forget grateful.