Sven-Goran Eriksson Returns to England With Notts County

Like a month to a flame Sven-Goran Eriksson simply cannot stay away. Four months after flaming out as coach of the Mexico national team, the Swede returns to the warm busom of England where he shockingly becomes the Director of Football for Notts County.

Notts County, founded in 1862, bills itself as the World's Oldest Professional Club. The Magpies are also in England's League Two, the fourth tier of the Football League.

Eriksson, who had a mixed run managing Manchester City in the 2007-08 season, signed a five-year contract that should pay him £2 million per season. At his introductory press conference the Swede insisted he didn't sign on for the money, instead the challenge.

"I signed a contract first of all. Secondly, if it was for the money I could have easily gone elsewhere for much, much more money. I'm not here for money, I am here for the challenge.I'm not here for the weather, or if the city is nice or not. If that was the case then I could have gone to Italy. I'm here for the big challenge and that's the truth."

It probably doesn't hurt that Notts County were taken over my a Middle Eastern Consortium in June, giving the club a cash injection.

If Sven is telling the truth, it'll be more than a challenge to bring the Magpies -- who finished 19th in the 24-team league in 2008-09 -- to the Premier League. Miracle might be too strong a word, but however you like to term it, he'll have his work cut out for him to climb three rungs on the league tier ladder.

That said, Hull City recently made the jump from League Two to the Premier League over the course of the decade.

However all this plays out at Notts, at the very least it ought to provide some new material for the Sven puppet on 'Special1 TV.'