Former Town boss Sir Bobby Robson will be the guest of honour at this evening's England-Croatia full international at Portman Road. Robson left Town to become England manager in 1982, following in World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey's footsteps.

Robson also played a big part in the career of current boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, inviting the Swede to watch him training his Ipswich side, something Eriksson appreciated: "Bobby Robson was very kind to me at the time.

"I wrote to him asking if I could watch him coaching. He told me to come over. I did - several times."

Eriksson was even on the bench for Town's 1-0 win against Aston Villa in 1980. Robson says this was to give him a new view of the game: "He was a student of the game and a fan of English football.

"He wanted to make his mark as a coach in Sweden. On one of his visits I invited him to sit in the dug-out with me because I told him it would give him a different perspective. He could see it, hear it and feel it in a way that isn't possible if you sit in the stands.

"Then he went on his way, of course, and made his name. Funnily enough, Ipswich won the UEFA Cup in 1981 and the following season his Gothenburg team won it."

Eriksson is likely to include former Ipswich man Kieron Dyer on the bench tonight but he will almost certainly get a run-out in front of a vast number of friends and family.

England probable: James, Mills, A Cole, Ferdinand, Terry, Beckham, Gerrard, Scholes, Butt, Owen and Heskey.

Photo: Action Images

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