Eriksson lookalike fools Mexican football chiefs into thinking he's the real Sven
Presumably in Mexico, all blue-eyed, fair-haired men look the same. What else can explain the dummy sold to Mexican football bosses who mistook a 56-year-old actor from Welwyn Garden City for Sven-Goran Eriksson, the country's new national team manager.
Hertfordshire man Derek Williams flew to Mexico in an attempt to revive his fortunes as a Sven lookalike this week. His career had taken a dive following the Swede's successive sackings from the England job and then from Manchester City.
In partnership with a Mexican sports newspaper, Williams rode in a blacked-out Chevrolet to a training session of first-division Mexico City side the Pumas.
Causing a stir: Derek Williams, posing as Sven Goran-Eriksson, has Mexican reporters fooled
Accompanied by a bodyguard and - crucially - with two busty women to demonstrate the Swede's fondness for the fairer sex, his arrival at the ground caused quite a stir.
Brandishing fake documents, obtained by the newspaper, Williams was able to walk straight on to the training ground.
'He explained to me that he was looking at players for his first squad selection for Mexico and I believed him,' said Ricardo Ferretti, the Pumas' Brazilian manager who had been putting his players through shooting practice.
The pair began talking tactics as Williams made himself at home in the team dugout.
The actor told Ferretti in the Swedish accent he has perfected over the years: 'We will be building the team and I hope I have your support for the future.'
Con: Watched by his glamorous companions, the fake Sven chats to Mexico coach Ricardo Ferretti
He then told reporters: 'I am very happy to be here. I am seeing a little more of Mexico now.'
Local journalists at the training session were a little taken aback to see the Swede accompanied by two women in tight black dresses but still did not realise they were being had.
José Angel Parra of the newspaper El Universal said: 'All of a sudden he appears with two girls and it looked very strange indeed. We'd heard that over there he'd been involved in some scandals so we didn't know what to think. They sat down behind the goal but then they were called over to the bench.'
The Mexican Football Federation was not amused. It has issued a warning to all clubs to beware of Williams and accused the lookalike of 'irresponsibly exploiting his likeness to the national coach'.
Looks can be deceptive: The real Sven and, right, lookalike Derek
The real Sven is in the US watching a tournament involving Mexican teams. He has signed a two-year contract and pledged to take Mexico to the World Cup quarter finals at least in
2010 … all of which gives Williams two years' fun in the Mexican sun.
