Steven Gerrard Reflects on England's International Struggles

Former England captain Steven Gerrard has expressed that he sometimes "hated" being on international duty, attributing the lack of success with the national team to a deficiency in team spirit.

At 45 years old, Gerrard earned 114 caps and participated in six major tournaments without advancing to a semi-final.

As a member of the so-called 'Golden Generation', he believes that an England manager should have strategically paired him with Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Manchester United's Paul Scholes to create a formidable midfield.

Gerrard, who spent his entire playing career at Liverpool before concluding it with a season at LA Galaxy, noted that players during his era were often reluctant to bond with teammates from rival clubs.

In a recent appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Gerrard remarked, "We were all egotistical losers. I watch television now and see Jamie Carragher sitting next to Paul Scholes, looking like they've been best mates for 20 years. Similarly, Carragher's relationship with Gary Neville appears to be long-standing. I probably have a closer friendship with you [Ferdinand] now than I did during our 15 years playing for England together."

He questioned, "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 never became a strong team at any point."

'I hated it'

During his 14-year international career, Gerrard played under five full-time managers, starting with Kevin Keegan and concluding with Roy Hodgson at the 2014 World Cup.

He captained the national team 38 times, and while he took pride in representing his country, he felt that no manager successfully cultivated the right culture within the squad.

"I hated it. I didn’t enjoy it. I hated the hotel rooms," he shared. "In my early days, I would have days when I felt low. I’d be stuck in my room for hours, wondering what to do. There was no social media, no DVD player—just basic television. I often felt down and isolated. I loved the games and was proud to play for England, but outside of the 90 minutes of training each day, I felt alone."

He contrasted his experiences with Liverpool, stating, "With Liverpool, those were the best days of my life. I felt valued and looked after by the staff. I couldn't wait to get there. With England, I was just looking forward to the games and training before wanting to leave."

'Southgate is underrated'

After a series of international disappointments, England reached the World Cup semi-final in 2018 and followed that with consecutive finals in the Euros under Gareth Southgate.

Southgate has received widespread praise for creating a positive culture within the squad, where players appear to have better relationships regardless of their club affiliations.

His successor, Thomas Tuchel, is set to lead the current squad in matches against Wales and Latvia this week, emphasizing the importance of fostering strong team spirit.

Gerrard commented, "Gareth Southgate is underrated for how he connected with the England team. The talent was there during my time, and the players were capable of achieving more. We faced some bad luck with penalties, but I feel a significant frustration looking back at England's performance; we could have done better. One of the main issues was that we were not a cohesive team; we were merely a collection of talented individuals, and that approach never succeeds."

Steven Gerrard Reflects on England's International Struggles

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