Wayne Rooney has admitted that club rivalries may have played a part in England’s failure to win a major tournament during the so-called “golden generation”, but he dismissed Steven Gerrard’s recent claim that the team were “egotistical losers”.
Speaking on his BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England captain said he never saw ego or arrogance as the problem, arguing instead that the team worked hard and were united but simply “couldn’t get over the line.”
Gerrard caused a stir earlier this week when he told Rio Ferdinand’s Vibe with Five podcast that inflated egos and club tensions undermined England’s most talented squad in decades.
Rooney, who won 120 caps and scored 53 goals for his country, said he understood where his former team-mate was coming from but felt the criticism was unfair.
“We didn’t win anything, and I wouldn’t quite put it that way,” Rooney said.
“I know what he’s saying because there were a lot of big characters in the dressing room and in the team.
“When you look back with the players we had, could we have done better? I think we could have, but it wasn’t to be.
“I wouldn’t say it was about attitude, because I think that’s disrespectful to us as players. We worked hard, we tried, and we didn’t quite manage to do it.”
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Wayne Rooney has admitted that club rivalries may have played a part in England’s failure to win a major tournament during the so-called “golden generation”, but he dismissed Steven Gerrard’s recent claim that the team were “egotistical losers”
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The England team of the mid-2000s was packed with stars from Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea, and many of those rivalries carried into the national camp.
Gerrard has previously admitted that the club divide created distance between players, particularly between those from Liverpool and United.
Rooney acknowledged that it was not always easy, but insisted it never affected the team’s commitment.
“It was difficult to have that relationship with Liverpool and Man United players,” he said.
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Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard failed to win anything when they were England team-mates
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“I think it’s easier now. I used to speak to Steven all the time when we were playing, and obviously we’re both Scousers.
“I didn’t see or feel any major issues. I got on with everyone and had no problems.
“I was aware that Becks, Gary Neville and Scholes weren’t really going to be close to Liverpool players, but one thing’s for sure — everyone worked hard for each other.
“We all tried, we all ran, and I don’t think that was the issue. We just couldn’t get over the line, but I didn’t see that lack of unity at all.”
Gerrard also revealed that he used to “hate” England duty because of the long hours spent in isolation between matches, describing the routine as monotonous and mentally draining.
Rooney said he could relate.
“I saw his comments about spending seven hours in his room,” he said.
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Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard pictured at the 2014 World Cup
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“That was tough at times because you’re just lying in bed watching TV, having food and then going to sleep.
“A few players did that. I tried to keep myself busy — I’d be in the massage room, the physio room, just trying to stay active.”
England's golden generation, ultimately, failed to live up to the hype.
At the 2002 World Cup they made the quarter-finals, only to end up losing 2-1 to Brazil following a major error by goalkeeper David Seaman.
They also made the last eight of both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, with Portugal eliminating them on both of those occasions.
England were knocked out of the 2010 World Cup by Germany in the last 16, having failed to qualify for Euro 2008, and were unable to escape the group stages of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.