"We were all egotistical losers. I watch the telly now and I see Jamie Carragher sitting next to Paul Scholes and they look like they've been best mates for 20 years. And I see Carragher's relationship with Gary Neville and they look like they've been mates for 20 years. I'm probably more close and friendly with you [Ferdinand] now than I ever was when I played with you for 15 years [for England]."
"So why didn't we connect when we were 20, 21, 22, 23? Was it ego? Was it rivalry? It was down to the culture within England. We weren't friendly or connected. We weren't a team. We never at any stage became a real good, strong team."
"I hated it. I didn't enjoy it. Hated the [hotel] rooms."
"In my early days, I'd have days where I was down, like low down. Like I'm in this room for seven hours, what am I going to do?"
Steven Gerrard won 114 caps and played at six major tournaments without reaching a semi-final. He formed part of the so-called 'Golden Generation' and an England manager could have paired him with Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes in midfield. Players were often reluctant to socialise with team-mates from rival clubs, fostering ego and rivalry rather than unity. The prevailing culture within England prevented players from bonding and becoming a cohesive, strong team. Gerrard found international camps unpleasant, disliked hotel routines, experienced low moods during long downtime, and judged that managers failed to establish the right squad culture.
Read at www.bbc.com
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