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Steven Gerrard has opened up about his England team-mates(Image: Getty Images)

Steven Gerrard explained that tensions between his boyhood club Liverpool and fierce rivals Manchester United spilled over into the England dressing room.

Gerrard, who racked up 114 appearances for his nation between 2000 and 2014, is England's fourth-most capped player of all time behind Peter Shilton, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham.

While the now 44-year-old managed to forge close bonds with some of his fellow countrymen on international duty, there were two stars, in particular, that he struggled to see eye-to-eye with, owing to their club obligations.



When you meet up for England at that time, you pretend you like them – but your career finishes, their career finishes and your friendship starts for real.

"I've got nothing but respect for Rio as a player, played for a top club all his life, he's a good fella as well, I'm enjoying the role at BT [Sport] with him as well."

Ferdinand also made a similar point the following year during an interview with Times Magazine, explaining: "It overshadowed things.

It killed that England team, that generation.

"One year we would have been fighting Liverpool to win the league, another year it would be Chelsea.

So I was never going to walk into the England dressing room and open up to Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, John Terry or Joe Cole at Chelsea, or Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher at Liverpool because of the fear they would take something back to their club and use it against us.

"I didn't realise that what I was doing was hurting England at the time.

Nothing else mattered."

Rio Ferdinand also spoke of a rift between England players(Image: Getty Images)

Speaking about putting club rivalries aside for the better of the nation, former England manager Gareth Southgate explained in 2018: "We have listened to some compelling interviews from Frank and Rio and Steven and we used that to say, 'Okay, we have to make sure we put those club situations to one side.’

"I don’t think there is that intense rivalry between our top clubs that there was then.
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