By IANS
London : Sven-Goran Eriksson arrived at Manchester City's training ground Wednesday for his first meeting with the English Premier League club's players, reports popular website Soccernet.
The former England boss, who will be officially named as City's new manager when owner Thaksin Shinawatra finally achieves 75% of share ownership at Eastlands, watched training and met the club's coaches and officials.
Chairman John Wardle, who will stay on the board when Thaksin, a former Thailand prime minister, finally takes full control, and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh were also early arrivals at City's Carrington training complex.
Thaksin is now believed to have 73% of the club's 55 million shares, and when he mops up another 2% – probably by Thursday – he will be able to de-list the club from the stock exchange and take it into private ownership.
That is the point when Eriksson will be appointed, but the Swede was keen to get started early, hence the morning arrival.
Eriksson jetted into Manchester Tuesday night, and is expected to complete the formalities of his three-year contract, worth 2.5 million pounds a year, either Thursday or Friday.
Eriksson will be joined in Manchester Thursday by long-time coaching assistant Tord Grip, who acts as a sounding board for the 59-year-old apart from scouting duties, the same job that he did for Eriksson when the pair worked together for England.
Roland Andersson, coach to the Swedish national team, will be Eriksson's number two. Andersson is currently on holiday but it is understood to have been contacted Tuesday by Eriksson.
As yet the Swedish football association have not been approached about the possibility of City securing Andersson's services.
Eriksson was introduced to former Swansea chief Kenny Jackett, brought in by former manager Stuart Pearce to be reserve-team boss towards the end of last season, and long-serving Derek Fazackerley, who organised Wednesday's workout for the players.
Conditioning coach John Webb was expected to take the sessions. Eriksson found an almost totally clean bill of health among his men, with 19-year-old England defender Micah Richards fully recovered from the calf operations, which kept him out of the domestic and international game from March.