Steven Gerrard acknowledges that he “disliked” participating in England matches, a sentiment he never encountered while representing Liverpool.
This feeling was widespread among players of the so-called “Golden Generation,” which included Liverpool’s Gerrard and Michael Owen; Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham, and Gary Neville; and Chelsea’s John Terry, Joe Cole, and Frank Lampard.
During an appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Gerrard concurred with his host and former international teammate that the players’ attitude toward international duty lacked maturity and hampered their efforts at World Cups and European Championships.
“Resentment, a touch of animosity – in retrospect, it was rather immature”
Gerrard remarked about England duty: “I detested it. I did not find it pleasurable. I hated the accommodations. Early on, I experienced moments of profound sadness, of being deeply dejected. Being confined to that room for seven hours, I wondered what to do.
“There was no social media, no DVD player or anything of that nature, [just] channels 1-5 or whatever was available. I often felt despondent and low-spirited.”
“I relished the games. I was proud to represent England. I enjoyed the training sessions, but they only lasted 90 minutes per day.
“Afterward, I was isolated in London or Romania, or wherever we were. I would think, ‘I’m confined to this room from now until dinner, and then until tomorrow.’
“I didn’t experience that feeling with Liverpool. Those were the finest times of my life. When traveling abroad or to an away game with Liverpool, I felt integrated into a team.
“I felt like the staff cared for me, like I was valued. I was eager to arrive. With England, I only anticipated the games and training sessions, and then I wanted to leave.”
Ferdinand and Gerrard both think club rivalries hindered the players from uniting, with factions from Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea especially prone to forming cliques and barely communicating.
Many England players from that era, including Ferdinand and Gerrard, now reflect on the situation with bewilderment, questioning why they didn’t try harder to set aside their differences during international assignments.
Gerrard, who was ranked fourth on FourFourTwo’s list of the best English midfielders of all time, added: “I felt like a connection started to emerge in the last day or two of the ten days, but then the games would conclude.
“There was somewhat more connection during the tournament because we lived together more, but I believe Gareth Southgate is underrated for how he connected with the England team.
“In my opinion, the potential was there, as were the players. We were all playing at a level that should have allowed us to achieve more than we did. Perhaps we encountered some misfortune with penalties or other factors. We must accept responsibility.
“However, I feel considerable disappointment when I reflect on England’s performances and our failure to achieve greater success. I believe it stems from a combination of factors, but a significant one was that we lacked team cohesion. We were simply a collection of talented individuals, and that approach is never effective.”
Ferdinand described the team’s atmosphere as having “an underlying acrimony” between its various factions.
Gerrard concurred: “Resentment, a hint of hostility, a touch of animosity, a tinge of whatever you want to call it. However, when you consider it now, from my current age and coaching experience, it seems rather… well, rather immature.
“Yet, shouldn’t there have been greater emphasis from the staff on approaching us, saying, ‘Listen, you must put that aside now. We need to connect from day one, through more activities, more time outside your rooms, more time together’?
“Because I believe that if we had been more of a team, more unified, and had enjoyed each other’s company more, it would have manifested in our performances.”
Listen to the full Rio Meets Steven Gerrard interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
