Steven Gerrard reignited debate over England’s ill fated “Golden Generation” this week, branding the star-studded squads of the 2000s as “egotistical losers” who never gelled beyond their club divides.

The former Liverpool captain argued that fierce club loyalties, especially between Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea players, created a fractured dressing room that stopped England from fulfilling their potential.

Rooney, Gerrard’s ex-teammate and longtime England striker, wasn’t impressed. He dismissed the comments as “disrespectful,” saying the players of that era gave everything despite not winning major trophies.

“Obviously we didn’t win anything,” Rooney admitted, “but to call us that is unfair. There were big characters in the squad, but we all worked hard for the team.”

Still, Rooney acknowledged that unity was hard to find in those days, admitting that players like David Beckham, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes were never close with Liverpool’s core group.

That very confession, though, proved Gerrard’s point. England’s team of elite individuals including Rooney, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand, Cole, and Gerrard himself repeatedly crashed out in the quarterfinals despite world-class talent.

Critics point to moments that symbolized the ego problem, such as Rooney’s infamous “big man is back in town” comment during the 2006 World Cup, just before his red card against Portugal.

England’s failure wasn’t just about luck. It was about culture one that Gerrard says was poisoned by club rivalry and ego, a diagnosis Rooney still seems unwilling to accept.

Nearly two decades on, both men remain symbols of English football’s golden promise and painful underachievement generation rich in talent but undone by its own pride.