It’s September 1, 2001. England are playing away in Germany in a World Cup qualifier. Sven-Goran Eriksson is around six months into his tenure as Three Lions boss… and something is stirring. Gerrard. Beckham. Scholes. Owen. Ferdinand. Neville. Campbell. Cole. This is as good as it’s been for some time. Premier League goal machines like Robbie Fowler and Andy Cole can’t even get into the starting eleven, while Steve McManaman – a La Liga and Champions League winner with Real Madrid – is also on the bench.
An ageing Germany side is blasted aside in Munich. Despite the hosts taking an early lead, England roar back – Michael Owen bags a hat-trick, with further goals from Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey adding the gloss to a 5-1 demolition. It was a result of such magnitude for English football that you can even buy a commemorative DVD of the game on Amazon – it boasts a rating of 4.5 stars too, which suggests that plenty of partisan fans have got their hands on a copy.
This was also the birth of England’s ‘Golden Generation’, who represented their country together for the best part of the next decade. They were tipped to dominate world football, and yet quarter-final appearances at World Cups and European Championships were all that they could muster. So why did the Golden Generation fail to get their hands on some major silverware? As far as Gerrard is concerned, the answer is clear… and pretty darn harsh into the bargain.
Egotistical Losers
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Steven Gerrard was asked why the Golden English generation failed, and Rooney did NOT like his answer…
🗣️ Gerrard: “I think we were all egotistical losers.”
🗣️ Rooney: “Saying the current England squad has a better attitude is disrespectful to us.” pic.twitter.com/dY6U3Wg4B2
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) October 10, 2025
Speaking to Golden Generation teammate Rio Ferdinand on his podcast, Gerrard claimed that England failed to even reach the semi-finals of a major tournament due to he and his colleagues being – in his words – ‘egotistical losers’. The Liverpool legend contextualised the comment by revealing that so fierce were inter-club rivalries during the 2000s, players from different domestic teams would refuse to socialise while on England duty.
He spoke of the modern-day friendships of the likes of Gary Neville and Paul Scholes with Jamie Carragher, as well as his own new-found kinship with Ferdinand, and questioned why they didn’t get along as international teammates. Gerrard pondered aloud:
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. We were all egotistical losers.
Missed Opportunities
The 2002 World Cup was the Golden Generation’s first chance to make their mark on the major stage. They breezed through their group easily enough, with a 1-0 win over Argentina the highlight, before defeating Denmark to reach the quarters. There, the opponents would be Brazil, a riotously talented team with Roberto Carlos and Cafu flying down the flanks and a front three of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo… surely one of the most dazzling triumvirates in football history?
England held their own, for the most part, but a moment of magic from Ronaldinho – or a moment of madness from David Seaman – saw the Brazilian lob the Three Lions goalkeeper from 40 yards to dump Sven’s men out of the tournament. By the Euros of 2004, England had improved yet further. Frank Lampard, John Terry and Wayne Rooney had made their way into the team, with a midfield quartet on paper of Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham and Scholes surely as strong as anything the Three Lions have ever produced.
But their old frailties from the penalty spot came back to haunt them in Portugal, as another run to a quarter-final was halted by the hosts via a penalty shootout. Surely better was to come at the World Cup of 2006 in Germany? Unbeaten in the group phase, Ecuador were squeezed aside in the Round of 16 before another last eight meeting with Portugal was booked.
Was it revenge or repeat? Well, given the nature of this article, you can probably guess. The Portuguese once again ran out winners via penalties. A failure to even qualify for Euro 2008 was catastrophic – punctuated by head coach Steve McClaren being labelled as the ‘wally with a brolly’ as the rain fell on one fateful evening in Croatia.
A slick new England did qualify for the World Cup of 2010 in South Africa. Fabio Capello was by now in charge, with many members of the original Golden Generation eyeing one last shot of glory. Things did not exactly go according to plan, as draws with the USA and Algeria left the Three Lions needing to beat Slovenia to reach the last 16 – which they just about did, courtesy of Jermain Defoe’s winning goal.
You may recall the Round of 16 tie with Germany. Yes, Frank Lampard’s ‘goal’ should have stood – his long-range shot hitting the crossbar and bouncing down over the line in an era prior to goal line technology, but the Germans were rampant in a 4-1 victory. England were disconsolate. Nine years after the Golden Generation was born after humbling the Germans in their own backyard, they were dismantled by the very same opponent in front of the watching world.
Where Did It Go Wrong for England’s Golden Generation?
Gerrard’s comments were revelatory as to the problems England had in gelling as a cohesive unit during the 2000s. But there were other issues, too. Sven, McClaren, Capello… none was able to find a formula that allowed Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes – all central midfielders by trade – to operate successfully together in the same midfield.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, with Michael Owen later claiming that England should have pivoted to a 3-5-2 formation – as opposed to the rigid 4-4-2 set-ups typically favoured – in order to allow Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes to flourish together. Lampard later admitted that the ‘golden generation’ tag had been a burden that weighed heavily on the players, allied to the increased expectations of football fans in England that this team, finally, would end decades without a trophy.
They wouldn’t, of course, and it was left to the second Golden Generation – Gareth Southgate’s side of the late 2010s and early 2020s – to restore faith. And they came so close to landing a major trophy too, losing in two European Championship finals. But, once again, another Golden Generation of English players would have to watch ultimate success pass them by.
