Sven-Goran Eriksson last night made an extraordinary return to English football when he was appointed director of football at Notts County. In one of the game's most staggering moves of recent times the former England manager was confirmed in the role at the League Two club after talks yesterday.

Eriksson, whose most recent job was as coach of Mexico, has been lured to Meadow Lane by a Middle East-backed consortium that has taken over at the club, which has finished in the bottom half of League Two for the past five seasons. Those close to Munto Finance, the ambitious consortium which took control last week with plans to establish the club in the Championship within five years, say Eriksson is in for the long haul.