England icon John Barnes reckons modern-day Three Lions stars have become too detached from supporters because they can no longer live like ordinary football fans.
The Liverpool legend says today's players are under so much scrutiny that simple things like going to the pub for a pint have become almost impossible – and believes that has created a growing gap between footballers and the people who support them.
Barnes, who won 79 caps for England, says the game has changed dramatically since his playing days and insists there should be a better balance between professionalism and staying connected to everyday life.
He said: "I think the balance is somewhere in the middle because you still want to have a relationship with normal people."
"You want to be able to go and have a pint in the pub and stuff, which is what we used to do. As much as you say it's much more professional now, because players aren't doing that, I think it's detached from the average football fan now, the way football is. So I'd much rather have it somewhere in between."
Barnes believes that this disconnect extends beyond the players and can be seen throughout the modern game.
"Football has changed now," he said. "If you go to lots of the games, they've got lounges and stuff like that. But the old-school pie and a pint is what you want."
"That's what [they think] football fans want. You have people in lounges, but 99% of football fans are all average fans who just sit in the stand, go and have a pie and a pint."
Barnes argued that footballers should not lose touch with normal life simply because they become elite athletes.
"As much as you're a young footballer, before you're a young footballer, you're a normal human being," he said.
"You have friends at school, your family, and when your family is going out and doing what they're doing and you're having a pie at home or whatever, you're not going to say don't do that."
"The clubs will really direct them how to be a professional footballer. This is not about being a professional footballer. This is just about being a football fan and a normal person."
Barnes also believes that rising costs have made club football less accessible for working-class supporters, with fans of his own team Liverpool finding rising costs difficult to manage.
He explained: "It's so expensive now, it's hard for the average working-class fan to go. A lot of Liverpool fans say we can't afford to go to games, so the league's like that as well."
However, despite the challenges, Barnes backs fans to find a way to support their side anyway, telling The Star, "this is the modern world we live in, so we have to get on with it. Fans will always find a way, believe me. Fans will always find a way to support their teams."
