Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he and Steven Gerrard shared a mutual dislike during their time together in the England squad, attributing the tension to the fierce rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool.
The former United defender, who earned 81 caps for the Three Lions between 1997 and 2011, told The Times: “Steven Gerrard didn't like me and I didn't really like him. There was hate between us and our teams. But we've put that all to one side now.”
Gerrard, who made 114 England appearances from 2000 to 2014, echoed the sentiment in a previous discussion on Ferdinand's podcast. He described the England players of that era as “egotistical losers” who failed to connect due to club rivalries and a lack of team culture.
“Why couldn't we connect as England team-mates back then? And I think it was down to the culture within England that we were all never connected. All in our rooms too much. We weren't a team,” Gerrard said.
Both players have since mended their relationship, with Ferdinand noting that they have put the animosity behind them.
