While players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic often take the plaudits for Sweden's recent success in football, Lars Lagerback is undoubtedly the unsung hero of the national team.

During his eight years with the side - six of those as the head coach - Lagerback can boast a record most coaches would be proud of.

Indeed the 56-year-old is the only coach in Sweden's footballing history to lead the national team to four consecutive tournament finals.

And having recently agreed to stay on in his current role until after Euro 2008, the Swedes will be quietly confident he can add one more to that tally.

However, until early 2000, most Swedes did not know his name.

His playing career was wholly unremarkable, beginning with lowly Swedish club Alby FF in 1960 and ending with Gimonas CK 14 years later.

Three years away from the sport were then followed by coaching spells with Kilafors, Arbraa and Hudiksvall.

However in 1990, Lagerback was given his first big break by the Swedish football association - a decision which, in hindsight, could almost be described as inspired.

As well as coaching the nation's youth team, Lagerback was also responsible for "spying" on the opposition for both the 1990 and 1994 World Cup.

And, while Italia 90 was a forgettable experience for Sweden with three defeats in their group games, they made their mark four years later in the USA with a third-placed finish thanks to a 4-0 triumph over Bulgaria.

It was Lagerback's first taste of success and a year later he became coach of Sweden's B team.

And by 1998, the Katrineholm-born Lagerback had been appointed assistant coach of the senior side, working alongside Tommy Soderberg.

The partnership was an instant success and within two years the duo were named joint-coaches of Sweden, guiding the team to the Euro 2000 finals held in Holland and Belgium.

Unfortunately, their impressive qualifying campaign could not be matched at the tournament as they finished bottom of their group with just one point to their name.

But the Lagerback-Soderberg combination answered their critics in the best possible way by leading the Swedes to the World Cup finals two years later.

This time they reached the second round before crashing out to a golden goal from Senegal, and further success was to follow with a place in the quarter-finals at Euro 2004.

The duo had more than left their mark on the game in Sweden, but it was to be the final swansong for the partnership with Lagerback left to go it alone following Soderberg's retirement.

All eyes were now firmly on the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign to see if Lagerback could bring the same success to the nation without the help of his great friend.

Roland Andersson was brought into the set-up as Lagerback's number two, and any fears Sweden would not be able to maintain the run soon proved unfounded as the Scandinavians once more overcame the obstacle of qualifying to book their place in Germany.

Lagerback was now written into the history books as the only coach ever to lead Sweden to four consecutive finals, and the Swedish FA responded by offering him a further extension to his current deal, which was set to expire this summer.

A new two-year contract was signed last December and Lagerback admits it would have been too hard to turn down such an offer.

"It's such an incredibly exciting, challenging and interesting role," he explained.

"The most difficult thing is to find the flexibility between how it all should work, yet at the same time be sensitive to the various players and their personalities. That's something I've learnt the most about. Getting people to work together but still letting them retain their personality."

Lagerback's ability to build a team with only a handful of star players is one of his greatest talents, and the Swedes are a side many will not want to meet in Germany.

As it stands England, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago will do just that in the group stages and, although Lagerback is realistic about his team's chances of becoming world champions, he is nevertheless confident his team will not disgrace themselves.

"We know that on a good day we can push aside whoever we like," he explained.

"If you want to go far at the World Cup, you have to give 100% in every game. If we want to go all the way we'll have to get through seven matches and that's very, very difficult. But if we have a good day we can beat anyone."

So contenders beware. Lagerback has proved something of a talisman for the Swedish side and further success can not be ruled out with the coach keen to enjoy his time in the limelight.

But just who does he owe his achievements to? According to Lagerback, one man and one man only.

"Tommy Soderberg. It's because of Tommy Soderberg that I'm still here now," he said.