Peter Reid has admitted that he tried to sign Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic twice when he was manager of Sunderland ten years ago.

Ibrahimovic scored four goals to beat England last Wednesday, prompting praise from all quarters.

Reid said that he tried to sign the 31-year-old when he was at Ajax, after previously failing with a bid when the forward was at Malmo.

"When he was at Ajax, I went to Amsterdam and offered £7m for him," Reid told the Daily Star. "It was the second time I tried to take him to Sunderland.

"We were also in for him when he was at Malmo.

"Imagine what a signing he would have been, everywhere he goes his teams wins the league."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger also admitted this week that he tried to sign Ibrahimovic when he was just sixteen.