So that's why Sven rates Gary Neville...

Sven-Goran Eriksson is lauded for his quietly impressive achievement in guiding England to the World Cup finals; he has beguiled everyone with his diffident charm and urbanity and with a tactical nous that few can match anywhere in Europe.

But there are some in his homeland of Sweden who wonder whether he is an urbane myth. For they remember the night in Helsingborg in 1975 when Eriksson was reduced to a fumbling failure by a local plumber.

"He is a great coach but he was not such a great player," recalls the Helsingborg press officer Gunnar Brink. "He got a big roasting, a real punishment from a winger when he played for KB Karlskoga against Helsingborg. It's been a tale here for years, a big joke for local people since the time he became a famous coach."

The left-winger was Tom Johansson. He scored in a 3-0 win and left the bewildered right-back Eriksson, whose undistinguished semi-professional career with Karlskoga was ended shortly afterwards by a knee injury, trailing in his wake.

Johansson, 54, recalls: "Sven was an ordinary player. I was faster than him and got past him three or four times. I was 28 then, and had about as much hair as Sven does today. I have never had the chance to meet him since and talk about the game, but I would love to one day."

People still remind Johansson of that match and he adds: "There were a lot of jokes when an article appeared in a local newspaper."

In 1976 Eriksson became the coach of the Swedish third division side Degerfors, the first step in a career that was to earn him fame and fortune; Johansson stayed in Sweden and still works as a plumber. "I had the same job when I was playing for Helsingborg for 10 years between 1969-79. We weren't paid much, about 1,000-2,000 krona [?65-?130] a month."

"I enjoyed my career but I didn't pick up any international honours. Once, I was told that Crystal Palace had come to watch me, but I heard nothing."

The experience is still etched on Eriksson's mind. "It was like a circus," he said. "There was a very fast winger called Johansson and it didn't matter whatever I tried he just disappeared away from me.

"I said 'damn, I need support'. But at that time full-backs were not given support. They were good times for attackers because there was so much space. That game changed my mind about defensive tactics and it made me think about pressing the opposition."

Thomas Sternberg, who played with Johansson for Helsingborg that day and is now director of sport at the club, remembers the match.

"Sven-Goran was not a great player," he says. "He was not fast, he was not skilful and he did not have a great technique. But he could read a game.

"He was not someone you would notice. He did nothing to stand out. He was very disappointed with the game because Tom scored and went past him a few times."

A fortnight ago Sternberg met Eriksson at Ipswich, where Helsingborg drew 0-0 with the home side in a Uefa Cup tie, and the conversation turned to that game played more that a quarter of a century ago.

"It was very interesting because he still remembers it as a bad performance. I told him I played in defence for Helsingborg for many years in the 70s. He didn't remember me and I must say that I didn't remember him.

"Nobody knew Sven-Goran at that time. He wasn't a player who was at the top and I didn't remember that I played against him until I read it in the papers here.

"Helsingborg at that time played in the second division. We were good and at the top. Karlskoga dropped down to the third division so they were not the best."

Sternberg believes it is character that has made Eriksson such a "fantastic coach". He says: "The mentality of his teams are unbelievable. I think he was playing in the second division because of his character. If he didn't have the character I don't think he would have been playing."

How ever the Swedes viewed Eriksson the player, there is no doubting their pride in Eriksson the coach. "Since he left Sweden he has had tremendous success," Sternberg says. "He has got better and better. He has learned from the influence of Portugal and Italy.

"He was one of the youngest coaches ever in Swedish football. I think he knew already at that time he would never have a great career on the field and would try as a coach. There was no disappointment that he went to England. The Swedish population have applauded him."

But they were laughing at him on that long-ago evening in Sweden when a plumber drained all his confidence.