Two England Players 'Resented' David Beckham as Dressing Room Rift Revealed
A former teammate previously revealed that some England players "resented" David Beckham during his Three Lions career.
With Premier League football on hold, attention now turns to the upcoming international break.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel recently caused a stir by leaving out several high-profile players, such as Kyle Walker, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, from his 24-man squad for the friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier away at Latvia.
These days, the England camp is settled, with most players interacting despite playing for different and even sometimes rival clubs.
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Former England head coach Gareth Southgate was largely credited with helping build a closer relationship between players and harmony in the camp during his eight-year spell as boss.
However, several ex-players have claimed that this was not always the case, especially with England’s so-called ‘golden generation’.
Frank Lampard, who played for England 106 times, previously spoke of cliques in the England dressing room, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea players often staying in their own groups in communal areas.
“Myself and John [Terry] were massively behind Chelsea – everyone knows how much that club meant to us – and it was the same with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher from Liverpool, the same with Rio [Ferdinand] and the Manchester United players,” Lampard said in 2017.
“You really felt, as you should for your club, those bonds, and it was human nature that we stayed in our own groups.”
Several members of the mid-2000s England side have since voiced their regret at not interacting more with members of other clubs, including Lampard, who said they could have “handled it better”.
The likes of Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, and Paul Scholes could not help England past a quarter-final during their time with the national team.
Even arguably the most well-known English player of all time, Beckham, could not help England get over the line in a World Cup or European Championship.
Between the late 1990s and early to mid-2000s, Beckham was one of the most popular public figures on the planet - and according to one former teammate, even had a big say on decision-making related to the Three Lions.
Beckham reportedly had so much influence that some England players “resented” the power he had, according to former England and United midfielder Nicky Butt.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2014, Butt said: “He had a lot of power in the England set-up, a lot of decisions went through him.
"Maybe a few resented that, but he was always still Becks to us – and still is to this day when we meet up and go for a meal. He is the boy who came up from London, the skinny little boy who loved Man United.
“He is still the same lad, and we all just click when we are back together.
“It all just snowballed. He became famous and got more famous and more famous. He is a massive big superstar, but he handles it well.”
Topics: England, David Beckham, Football, Premier League, Gareth Southgate
Luke Davies