Joint England 11 of Current Stars & Golden Generation

Steven Gerrard fuelled debate when he claimed his former England teammates were “egotistical losers”, although some would argue the Golden Generation warrant starting berths in the current Three Lions side.

The Liverpool legend, who earned 114 caps, was part of an English national team that underperformed significantly and failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals of a major tournament. This was despite Gerrard lining up alongside superstar names such as Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes.

England has been transformed into one of international football’s most respected nations over the past decade, thanks in large part to the cohesion within the group. While the current crop of English talent may not be the celebrities that those of the Golden Generation were, they thrive as a collective because there isn’t the fierce rivalry that existed during Gerrard’s playing days.

That was the former midfielder’s stance, but how would an XI look if selected from a pool of players from his era and the current day? There is one or two controversial omissions, while a massive dilemma will have been solved.

Goalkeeper – Jordan Pickford

There’s little debate to be had over Jordan Pickford, who Rooney called “underappreciated”, taking the number one jersey in an England combined XI, and he’d see off competition from David Seaman and David James. The Everton shot-stopper has been a mainstay in the national team since debuting in 2017 and has been part of one of the most celebrated teams in the country’s history.

Pickford’s performances at major competitions have been outstanding, including the 2018 World Cup, when his heroics in a penalty shootout helped the Three Lions beat Colombia. He rarely makes a mistake, and his passion and confidence are essential traits for an English goalkeeper.

Defence – Kyle Walker, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole

The strength in depth that England’s golden generation possessed in central defence was ridiculous but there were only two undisputed starters. Rio Ferdinand and John Terry will go down as two of the greatest centre-backs in the history of the game and they were the perfect partners thanks to their differing profiles.

Terry and Ferdinand are the role models of any current English Premier League defender because they were so reliable at the back. The never-say-die attitude of the Chelsea icon and the flawless ball-playing style of the Manchester United legend give John Stones and Harry Maguire no chance.

It was a toss-up between Gary Neville and Kyle Walker over who took the right-back spot, but the former Manchester City man just takes it based on his pace. He has been able to nullify the threat of some of football’s most formidable wingers, including Vinicius Junior.

Nobody was getting over Ashley Cole, who lays claim to being quite possibly the best left-back England has ever produced. Speaking of keeping top attackers quiet, he was often Cristiano Ronaldo’s kyprotine at club and international level, but hopefully someone like Myles Lewis-Skelly can now follow in his footsteps.

Midfield – Declan Rice, Steven Gerrard, Jude Bellingham

England’s midfield will forever be up for debate because fans, pundits and the manager have their preference on which profile is most suitable. There was a collective moan among English fans when Gareth Southgate suggested his team missed Kalvin Phillips at Euro 2024.

Declan Rice has proven he can produce in big moments and be the pivot that the Three Lions require, which does limit his ball-carrying abilities. But he is such an all-rounded talent, able to unlock defences thanks to his precise passing abilities, and he should be Thomas Tuchel’s captain once Harry Kane calls it a day.

While Jude Bellingham may be encountering issues with Tuchel, there’s no doubt he is the man for the big occasion, as shown at last summer’s Euros with his outrageous overhead kick against Slovakia. The Real Madrid star, unlike Phil Foden, is able to pull the rabbit out of the hat even when not at his best.

The decision to go with Bellingham over Frank Lampard or Paul Scholes is bound to upset a fair few supporters but only one of the Golden Generation’s midfielders could make this midfield. That honour goes to Gerrard himself, who always gave one hundred per cent when wearing his nation’s colours, even if he sometimes “hated” it.

Pele argued that Gerrard was worthy of winning the Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho during the peak of his career. He was a jack-of-all-trades who would relish a partnership with Rice to allow Bellingham to break forward as a 10.

Attack – Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney

Don’t just take our word on moving Wayne Rooney to the left wing to accomodate Harry Kane as the starting number nine as his own club manager once suggested that’s where he best operates. Sir Alex Ferguson explained using Rooney in the position while in charge of Manchester United: “When forwards attack from wide to inside, they are far more dangerous … Strikers going inside are far more dangerous, I think.”

Rooney was so outrageously gifted that he is a better option off the left than any current and former Englishman from the pool of talent we’re choosing from. The left wing was an issue for Southgate because Foden didn’t feel comfortable, and Marcus Rashford came out of form.

This front three allows England’s two all-time top goalscorers to line up with one another and Kane is undoubtedly the best centre-forward the country has ever seen. He is breaking records at Bayern Munich, and if he had more experienced heads, such as Rooney and Gerrard, during Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, and Euro 2024, perhaps he’d have led the Three Lions to glory.

Bukayo Saka is often the subject of scrutiny from rival fans because he’s Arsenal’s talisman but nobody can deny the impact he’s had since breaking into the national team. He’s made the right wing position his own with world-class performances, and many don’t bat an eyelid because he is so consistently top class for his country, with some displays at last summer’s Euros going under the radar.

Manager – Gareth Southgate

There hasn’t been an England manager since the 1966 World Cup triumph who has made fans dream it’s “coming home” quite like Gareth Southgate. For all his tacticial faults he was unbelievably likable and that was a key factor behind him taking the Three Lions to the final of two European Championships.

Southgate galvanised a group of underperforming Englishmen and oversaw a transformation that put the wheels in motion for English football to rival the very best of international football. Should he at least have claimed one major trophy? Undoubtedly, he shouldn’t have put the handbrake on against Italy at Wembley in 2021.

But he lived and breathed the England national team and was everything you want from a coach if you are a young player trying to break into the senior setup. Gerrard thinks he’s “underrated” and we’re inclined to agree especially reflecting on how bad the team was when he took charge.