SOCCER/News: Sven-Goran Eriksson yesterday sent out a strong message that he would not leave his job without a struggle by insisting he did not mislead the Football Association in England over his relationship with a female secretary.

The England manager said he had never confirmed or denied his relationship with Faria Alam, and that he was not aware any statements about it were to be issued by the FA.

Eriksson's own statement yesterday suggested he clearly felt he had not done anything wrong and he was not prepared to walk away without a fight.

A special meeting of the FA board takes place next Thursday to decide Eriksson's future and the England manager is prepared to persevere. Yesterday Eriksson said it had always been his policy never to comment on his private life but added: "However, I have been so distressed by recent inaccurate comment and speculation about my professional integrity that I feel I must now make the following statement:

"With regard to the Football Association's forthcoming inquiry announced on July 27th into 'the circumstances which led to the FA issuing legal statements based on misleading information,' I wish to state unequivocally that in keeping with the above policy I have at no time either categorically confirmed or denied any relationship with Ms Faria Alam.

"Moreover, neither I nor my advisers had any prior knowledge whatsoever of the statement authorised by the Football Association on behalf of Ms Alam on Monday, 19th July, nor of the press release issued by the Football Association on Saturday, 24th July, nor were either myself or my advisers consulted in any way about the contents of either statement."

The July 19th statement referred to was a letter sent by FA solicitors to papers on Alam's behalf a day after news of her affair with Eriksson was first reported. It stated: "We are instructed that there is no truth whatsoever in the suggestion that our client and Mr Eriksson are having, or have had, an affair".

The July 24th statement confirmed Eriksson and Alam had had an affair and that she had also been involved with the FA chief executive Mark Palios. Palios was cleared earlier this week of misleading the FA.

Eriksson's statement will increase the spotlight on the FA executive director David Davies, Alam's boss, and the role he may have played in the issuing of the denial and what questions were asked of the England manager when news of the affair broke.

Wayne Rooney's advisers, meanwhile, will be taking a close interest in events at Goodison Park today when Bill Kenwright is due to announce whether he is continuing as Everton chairman.

If the theatre impresario resigns it will be due to a failure to attract the £15 million of new investment he was challenged to muster by Paul Gregg, his boardroom rival, on Monday. Kenwright is understood to have had two "serious" meetings with separate would-be backers in the past 48 hours and is believed to be "sweating on the outcome".

Gregg has already pledged to inject £15 million, from a still undisclosed source who is almost certainly from the far east, into Everton but, with the club £40 million in debt, has admitted most of it will not be available for the purchase of new players.

Unless Kenwright has found a sugar daddy the only way to bolster David Moyes's squad seems to be to sell Rooney, most probably to Manchester United.

Everton also announced yesterday that Swedish midfielder Tobias Linderoth is expected to join FC Copenhagen for £1 million.