Report: How club tensions impacted England’s chances at major tournaments | OneFootball

Friction in England’s golden generation

Steven Gerrard has revealed how bitter club rivalries coloured his time with the England national team, providing fresh insight into the challenges that beset a side often celebrated more for its individual talent than its collective success.

The former Liverpool captain, who won 114 caps for England between 2000 and 2014, admitted that his animosity towards Manchester United players affected team harmony. Speaking at an event in Belfast in 2017, Gerrard opened up about his difficult relationships with Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville, both of whom were key figures for United during the height of their club’s success.

“When you’re lining up in the tunnel against Rio and Gary Neville you want to do everything in your power to beat them – there’s hatred there, that’s exactly how it is. When you meet up for England at that time, you pretend you like them – but your career finishes, their career finishes and your friendship starts for real,” Gerrard admitted.

Photo: IMAGO

Feedback from peers reveals deep divides

That tension was not one-sided. Ferdinand himself echoed Gerrard’s sentiment the following year in Times Magazine, describing how his obsession with Manchester United’s success created a wall between himself and his international teammates from rival clubs.

“It overshadowed things. It killed that England team, that generation,” Ferdinand said. “One year we would have been fighting Liverpool to win the league, another year it would be Chelsea. So I was never going to walk into the England dressing room and open up to Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, John Terry or Joe Cole at Chelsea, or Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher at Liverpool because of the fear they would take something back to their club and use it against us.

“I didn’t realise that what I was doing was hurting England at the time. I was so engrossed, so obsessed with winning with Man United. Nothing else mattered.”

Southgate’s solution for future generations

Former England manager Gareth Southgate later addressed these historic issues, explaining in 2018 how the national team had evolved by learning from past divisions. He credited players like Gerrard, Ferdinand and Frank Lampard for sharing honest reflections that helped inform a new approach to unity in the squad.

“We have listened to some compelling interviews from Frank and Rio and Steven and we used that to say, ‘Okay, we have to make sure we put those club situations to one side’,” Southgate said.

He added, “Most of them have come through the youth system with England together so they are used to being at St George’s together. That’s not a hardship for them. We are nothing to do with the past. The past can inform us and help us, but shouldn’t shape us.”

Photo IMAGO

Rivalry still defines Gerrard’s story

Despite being a central figure in England’s so-called golden generation, Gerrard never lifted silverware with the national team. Yet his legacy, coloured by that era’s intensity and the raw honesty he offers in retirement, remains deeply respected.

After managerial stints with Rangers, Aston Villa and Saudi side Al-Ettifaq, Gerrard is currently out of work, although reports suggest he is eyeing a return to Ibrox. With Russell Martin, Davide Ancelotti and Brian Priske also linked to the post, the coming months could prove decisive.

For Gerrard, the rivalry that once divided dressing rooms now offers context to a story of fierce loyalty, misunderstood unity and the valuable feedback that may yet shape England’s future.