Rio Ferdinand ‘didn’t get along’ with some of England’s Golden Generation, even though they played on the same team.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand recently opened up about a teammate from his England days who he didn’t really get along with—even though they played 49 games together. Ferdinand finished his England career with 81 caps.
He was part of England’s so-called Golden Generation, a group of top Premier League stars from 2000 to 2010 who, despite their talent, never quite managed to win a major tournament. In a chat with The Times, Rio revealed that he and Steven Gerrard didn’t see eye to eye back then, and the feeling was mutual.
“Steven Gerrard didn’t like me, and I didn’t really like him,” said Ferdinand, now 47. “There was definitely some hate between us and our clubs [United and Liverpool]. But we’ve moved on from that now.”
Back in the 2000s, the England team was known to have groups that stuck with their club friends, which hurt the team spirit. Ferdinand and Gerrard played together at the 2006 World Cup, where England reached the quarter-finals. Gerrard also played in the 2010 World Cup, but Ferdinand missed out due to injury.
Gerrard, who earned 114 caps for England, once called the Golden Generation “egotistical losers.” On Ferdinand’s podcast last year, Gerrard said, “Now I see Jamie Carragher and Paul Scholes chatting on TV and they seem like best mates. Carragher and Gary Neville seem close too. I’m probably closer to you now than I was when we played together for 15 years. Why didn’t we connect as England teammates? I think it was because we all kept to ourselves too much. We weren’t a real team.”
Looking ahead, Thomas Tuchel and the England squad are gearing up for the next World Cup, happening in the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. England will face Croatia, Panama, and Ghana in Group L. Former manager Gareth Southgate’s one-club style is just one part of what’s needed.
“If England is going to win the World Cup, Harry Kane has to be in top form,” said Ferdinand. “Declan Rice keeps everything linked on and off the field. Jude Bellingham steps up in big moments. And a fit Bukayo Saka can make all the difference. We’ll need some luck too, especially with the weather, but we’re ready to go far in the tournament.”