Former England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes ego and club rivalry prevented the Three Lions from winning international tournaments during his playing career.
Branded a “golden generation,” Gerrard was part of an immensely talented squad that failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals of a major tournament under various managers. The 45-year-old, who earned 114 international caps, led Liverpool to the Champions League in 2005.
Manchester United’s crop of England stars, including Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, and Wayne Rooney, alongside Chelsea’s Ashley Cole, John Terry, and Frank Lampard, enjoyed Premier League and Champions League success at club level. However, Gerrard contended that these club divisions hindered England’s cohesion as a team.
“We were all egotistical losers,” Gerrard told the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, reflecting on the camaraderie that now exists among the same players in their punditry careers. “So why didn’t we connect when we were 20, 21, 22, 23? Was it ego? Was it rivalry? It stemmed from the culture within England. We weren’t friendly or connected. We weren’t a team. We never at any stage became a truly good, strong team.”
England is still waiting to end their drought since winning the World Cup in 1966. However, they did reach the final of the past two European Championships under Gareth Southgate. After losing the Euro 2024 final, Southgate stepped down, with Thomas Tuchel now at the helm of England’s hopes for the upcoming World Cup.
“Gareth Southgate is underrated for how he connected with the England team,” Gerrard remarked. “Because for me, the talent was there (in my time). The players were there. The level of games we were all playing at was sufficient to achieve better than we did. We had a bit of bad luck with penalties or whatever. We must take responsibility, but I have a big frustration when I look back at England that we never did better. I think it’s a combination of different factors, but one significant issue was that we weren’t a team. We were a group of individuals with talent, and that never works.”
Gerrard’s managerial career has stalled following disappointing spells at Aston Villa and Saudi side Al Ettifaq. However, he is among the favourites for a return to Glasgow giants Rangers, with whom he won the Scottish Premiership in the 2020/21 season.
“There’s a part of me that still feels there’s some unfinished business in terms of wanting to face a couple of exciting challenges,” the 45-year-old said regarding his return to management. “But I want a certain type of challenge. If, in an ideal world, they become available, I’ll jump at them. If they don’t, I won’t go back in. I want to be at a team that’s going to compete to win because I think that suits me better.”
