They might have put aside their differences now, but Rio Ferdinand has revealed there was a genuine hatred between himself and Liverpool rival Steven Gerrard during their time as England teammates.
The pair shared Three Lions dressing rooms between 2000 and 2011, a period during which the so-called Golden Generation failed to live up to their billing.
A succession of managers, including the likes of Fabio Capello and Sven-Goran Eriksson, failed to get the best out of a group of players who played major roles in the successes Premier League teams enjoyed in European club competitions across that same period.
Over time it has emerged that the intense nature of the club rivalries that simmered for nearly a decade, principally between Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, contributed to England’s repeated failures at major tournaments.
Gerrard spoke to Ferdinand on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents last year and opened up on the national camp during their time together.
He was frank in his assessment, saying: ‘I think we were all egotistical losers. Because I watch the telly now and I see (Jamie) Carragher sitting next to Paul Scholes on this fan debate and they look like they’ve been best mates for 20 years.
‘And I see Carragher’s relationship with Gary Neville and they look like they’ve been mates for 20 years. I’m probably more close and friendly with you now than I ever was when I played with you for 15 years.
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‘So why didn’t we connect when we were 20, 21, 22, 23? Was it ego? Was it rivalry? Why are we all mature enough now and at stages in our life where we’re closer and more connected now?
‘Why couldn’t we connect as England team-mates back then? And I think it was down to the culture within England that we were all never connected. All in our rooms too much. We weren’t a team.’
Despite, arguably, not boasting as talented a group as they did during Ferdinand’s pomp, England made remarkable strides under Gareth Southgate and reached the finals of Euro 2020 and 2024.
Thomas Tuchel has continued the good work of his predecessor and a new-look side is among the favourites to the reach the latter stages of the upcoming World Cup.
Assessing the current squad, Ferdinand added: ‘If we’re going to win the World Cup, then Harry Kane has to be playing well.
‘Declan Rice knits things together on and off the pitch. Jude Bellingham gives us a chance because he’s a big-moments player. A fit Bukayo Saka can win us games.
‘We’ll need a lot of luck to win it. The weather is going to be a huge thing for us to overcome. But we’re well equipped to go deep in the tournament.’
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