When Kevin Keegan resigned after England's first World Cup qualifying game - a 1-0 home defeat to Germany - Sven-Goran Eriksson was the man who topped the FA's shopping list.
Howard Wilkinson, and then Peter Taylor, were appointed on short-term caretaking roles while the FA attempted to prise Eriksson away from Lazio.
The Swede had led the Italian club to their first Serie A title for years in 1999-00 and the Rome club were keen to hold onto him.
It first looked as though he would stay with them until the end of the 2000-01 season, but he was confirmed as England boss in January 2001.
He somehow managed to take England from the bottom to the top of a group they had never looked like winning.
The result that turned the table on its head was a remarkable 5-1 win in Munich, before a fortuitous draw against Greece confirmed qualification.
Eriksson has won titles in Sweden, Portugal and Italy and also won the European Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio in 1999 and the Uefa Cup with IFK Gothenburg in 1982.