Rio Ferdinand Brilliantly Explains Difference Between Golden Generation And Now

It's coming home lads! Okay so maybe we still shouldn't be getting ahead of ourselves just yet but at least this is better than the Golden Generation already and Rio Ferdinand explained why.

Once upon-a-time England fans genuinely thought the team could deliver a World Cup or European Championship title and there was actually pretty good reason for it.

After promising tournaments in 1996 and 1998 were followed by disappointment in 2000 the team appointed Sven Goran Eriksson in a period where the Three Lions had a pretty talented group of players.

There was Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Gary Neville, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard and yet in 2002, 2004 and 2006 they continually failed to live up to the players they had.

That was the supposedly Golden Generation who could only deliver quarter final finishes and penalty shoot-out frustration. The best thing they gave us was perspective as fans no longer go into tournaments expecting.

England's first two games at the World Cup have given us some hope though and Rio Ferdinand explained the difference between the two generations:

Ferdinand explained the passing in the team and the ability to open up opposition in comparison to his said saying, "We'd have just lumped it up to Crouchy (Peter Crouch)."

Perhaps the biggest shock was the revelation that Rio, whose breakout tournament was in Japan and South Korea in 2002, was told by Sven not to play his natural game and come out with the ball, adding, "Sven told me, my centre-backs don't run with the ball. I want to play for England, I was devastated, gutted, it took away a lot of my performance in an England shirt."

Ferdinand consoled after England crash out of the World Cup in 2002. Image: PA Images

England's opening two games coupled with most of the other fancied sides not living up to expectations of raised hopes of Gareth Southgate's side somehow replicating the success of 1966.

It might not be coming home just yet but it's a lot better than it's been for sometime, enjoy it whilst it lasts.

Topics: Football News, Manchester United, World Cup news, England, Rio Ferdinand, World Cup

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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