Graceful, intelligent and friendly: Sven-Göran Eriksson never lost his cool | Sven-Göran Eriksson

Sven-Göran Eriksson was not the type of man who only cared about powerful people – he was interested in everyone he worked with, regardless of their status. Sven always made you feel like you mattered; he had a lot of class.

I worked closely with him (as Communications Director for the English Football Association) when he was England manager and he has had a hugely positive influence on my life and career.

That was in the early 2000s, but I had first met Sven in November 1995 at the official opening of Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium. The occasion was marked by a friendly against Sampdoria and in my role as junior media officer at Boro I helped look after Sven and his team.

I was very aware that Sampdoria were not only a top team in Italy but also one of the leading lights of Europe, but I left that match with incredibly positive feelings. I was impressed by Sven’s grace, his kindness, courtesy and helpfulness. He was an impeccably mannered gentleman.

Those qualities remained intact when we next met: over dinner at Sopwell House in Hertfordshire. It was 2001 and we were preparing for his introductory press conference as England’s first foreign manager.

Sven was relaxed, respectful, polite and very intelligent. Despite all the commotion surrounding his arrival from Lazio, the next day went by like clockwork. I can honestly say that during his entire time as head of England, we never heard an unkind word. Considering that his private life was a bit of a gossip circus and there were some very difficult moments and situations, that says a lot about him.

There were a few Friday and Saturday nights when I had to call Sven to discuss stories about his love life that would be published in that weekend’s Sunday paper. It wasn’t fun for me and could be very awkward. But no matter how delicate the details I had to address, he never hid, never lost his cool, never took offense. If a story was true, he decided the outlet didn’t need to comment.

If Sven felt he had a right to a private life, he was also passionate about football and cherished his job with England. That sometimes gets lost, but it explains why, in the middle of a “situation” with paparazzi camped outside his London home, he insisted we watch Charlton v Aston Villa. “I want to see Gareth Barry play, Adrian,” he said.

Another time we were working in Germany but made a complicated trip to Belfast to watch England Under-17s.

After the well-documented Faria Alam episode, Sven and I travelled to the Netherlands to watch a pre-season tournament in Amsterdam. There were photographers and tabloid reporters everywhere and on the only night without a match I asked him what he wanted to do. “Dinner, Adrian,” Sven replied. In retrospect it was surreal. Chris Kamara joined us, we went to a busy Italian restaurant on a canal in the centre of Amsterdam and Sven sat there enjoying the conversation and the wine while happily signing autographs to passers-by.

Under Sven, England qualified for major tournaments with great ease. It has gone somewhat unnoticed that of his three quarter-final exits, one was against the eventual winners, Brazil (2002 World Cup), and two were on penalties, one against the hosts (Portugal at Euro 2004).

He was not a fearful coach and believed in getting the best out of players by giving them responsibility. He was gentle and believed in taking the time to talk to them calmly rather than making a big show. He did not overload the squad with information or overload them with rules, but let people show their personality and did everything he could to create a happy, enjoyable atmosphere. Sven was always able to adapt to different situations and did not let the noise surrounding players like David Beckham and Wayne Rooney at the time get him down. He never got irritable.

After he left England, Sven and I happened to be in Dubai at the same time and my wife and I had a great evening with him at dinner. As we enjoyed a glass of wine in the bar after the meal and people came over to chat to him, you could see exactly why he was so popular.

The outpouring of affection, warmth and love towards Sven is now a reflection of the person he was. I feel blessed to have worked with him.

Adrian Bevington is a former Football Association director