News of the World hacked Sven Goran Eriksson’s mobile over four-year period, court told

Former England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson had his voicemail repeatedly hacked by the News of the World, the Old Bailey has heard.

The jury of nine women and two men heard that the Swede and his lover Faria Alam were monitored by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire between 2002 and 2006.

The court was told that this monitoring led to several high profile stories in the News of the World.

Among them was the 65-year-old manager’s affair with FA employee Alam, with "first details" of the relationship emerging from hacked messages in June 2004.

Another was a sting operation "perpetrated" by undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood which prosecutors say led to a story with the headline "This Man Is A Crook".

Prosecutor Mark Bryant-Heron told the jury that when Mulcaire was arrested in August 2006 on suspicion of phone hacking, recordings of messages intercepted from Eriksson's phone were found at his address.

One was from Everton chairman Bill Kenwright relating to player transfers, Bryant-Heron told the jury.

The court heard that Kenwright had left a message saying: "I didn't get back to you before I signed James Beattie and I wanted to talk to you about another of your England players before I sign him."

All of the defendants deny the charges.

The trial continues.