Top News

Frank Lampard has rejected the popular belief that England failed to make the most of its so-called 'Golden Generation' and has shared his perspective on the competition he faced with Paul Scholes.

WHAT HAPPENED?

It has long been a common opinion that England’s ‘Golden Generation’ underachieved by not winning any major tournaments such as the 2002, 2006, or 2010 World Cups, or Euro 2004. However, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, presented by Sky Bet, Lampard expressed that he disagrees with this narrative.

WHAT LAMPARD SAID

The former Chelsea and England midfielder said: “I think at times, we [the Golden Generation] were too rigid. Speaking from my own personal experience of playing in World Cups against teams that weren’t necessarily at our level – not France or Italy, but sides like Ecuador – they were controlling the ball in midfield because they outnumbered us in that area. The things that Stevie [Steven Gerrard] and I were used to doing when we had numerical support, we couldn’t do anymore. We were just trying to cover ground, and mentally it takes a toll during the match when you’re trying to understand why it’s happening.”

He added: “The Golden Generation label was nonsense anyway – no one actually called us that. There were some great players in that squad, but so did Italy and France, who had Andrea Pirlo and Zinedine Zidane. International football is always difficult to win, and that’s all history now.”

WHAT LAMPARD SAID ABOUT SCHOLES

Lampard also reflected on his competition with Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, who stepped away from international football after Euro 2004 at just 29 years old.

“Paul Scholes was an incredible player, and when I first came into the England squad, I probably upset the apple cart a bit because I was another attacking midfielder, which meant there were three of us,” he said. “We had a decent Euros that year [2004], but we were knocked out. Then Scholesy retired from international football for his own reasons, moved into a deeper role at Manchester United, and became this unbelievable quarterback-type player.”

He continued: “You can look back and say, ‘Why didn’t England play Scholesy there?’ but at that time, he wasn’t playing that role; he was still arriving into the box. I remember him scoring two goals against Scotland – he was a phenomenal player throughout his career, but the context had changed.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The debate around the ‘Golden Generation’ has resurfaced recently as Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Wayne Rooney have all faced managerial challenges. Lampard has been without a job since leaving Chelsea last year, while Rooney was dismissed by Birmingham City earlier this month after just 83 days in charge. Gerrard, meanwhile, has signed a new deal with Al-Ettifaq, though his team trails league leaders Al-Hilal by 28 points.

WHAT NEXT FOR LAMPARD?

At present, Lampard has no immediate plans to return to management. He revealed that he is enjoying time at home with his young children and watching football as a fan. This summer, he will likely be a spectator as Gareth Southgate’s current England squad attempts to capture European Championship glory in Germany.