Rio Ferdinand, the former famous player of Manchester United, accepted an interview not long ago. He recognized the situation that there was actually hatred in the golden generation of the England team, and this emotion had an impact on the team's ability to achieve better results in higher-level competitions.
Even with world-class talent and fame, the England team failed to win any major championships in an era when there were many stars such as Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.
Speaking on the eve of next month's World Cup, Ferdinand acknowledged that personal grudges often spill over into the overall environment of a team representing a country. Ferdinand told The Times: The person represented by Gerrard does not like me, and I do not have a good impression or liking of the person represented by Gerrard.
There was hatred between us and our teams, Manchester United and Liverpool, but we have put that aside at the moment.
Gerrard has spoken out before about the divisive atmosphere that existed within the England squad at that time, admitting that the team was filled with "self-righteous losers" at the time.
Looking back on that era, Gerrard said many players struggled to form genuine relationships given the intense rivalry between the clubs.
Gerrard said on the Ferdinand Podcast, "I think we are all pretentious losers. I am watching TV now and I see Jamie Carragher sitting next to Paul Scholes or Gary Neville, looking like they have been close friends for 20 years."
At that time, we were 20 years old, 21 years old, 22 years old, and 23 years old. Why couldn't we get along with each other harmoniously? Is this due to ego? Or is it due to the existence of antagonistic emotions? I think ultimately it comes down to the culture that England have within the team.
"We were never really connected."
Gerrard claimed that the team often lacked unity outside the field and spent too much time alone in hotel rooms during matches.
He also said that with such words, we are not like a team that presents a whole. We are just many individuals with different talents. It is absolutely impossible to carry out activities in that situation.
Gerrard paid tribute to former England manager Gareth Southgate, saying he created a more cohesive atmosphere within the squad during his time in charge. He further added: "I personally feel that Gareth Southgate's role in bringing the England team together and uniting them is underestimated."
At that time, the players and their skills were all online. Under this situation, we should have been able to obtain results that were far better than what we actually achieved. One of the biggest regrets in my heart is that we have not been able to achieve more achievements within the scope of the England team.
Throughout Gerrard's career, England could only reach the quarter-finals of major tournaments, as opposed to now, where they often reach the semi-finals and finals.
The Three Lions participating in this World Cup are regarded as one of the favorites to win the championship. The person currently in charge of this team is German head coach Thomas Tuchel.