There is no doubt the burden of the ‘Golden Generation’ tag ended up being too much for the former England international stars. The impact of the tag has also affected their managerial careers. In an interview, one star who played during the same time, Frank Lampard, claimed the Golden Generation tag was total nonsense.

The claims by the Chelsea legend are certainly going to trigger a lot of debates on social media. However, let’s look at the reason that prompted the 45-year-old to make such a huge statement.

Frank Lampard speaks on the tag that will stay with them forever!

Fans often have unrealistic expectations of soccer players at certain stages of their careers. It is what precisely happened with England stars like David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, and many more in the 2000s as they failed to win major tournaments. Years later, Frank Lampard has lifted the lid on the concept. The Chelsea legend said, “The Golden Generation tag was nonsense anyway. No one proclaimed us as a Golden Generation. There were some good players in that squad, but so did Italy and France, who had Andrea Pirlo and Zinedine Zidane. International football is always a challenge to win, and that’s an old story now.”

The team at that time did have a challenging time in major tournaments. England failed to win the World Cup in 2002, 2006, and 2010. They also lost the quarter-final game against Portugal on penalties in the 2004 Euros. The failure also saw several managers getting changed. It was one of the primary reasons the team underperformed in the tournaments.

The England fans would have loved the Golden Generation to become more successful and win several trophies. As far as Frank Lampard is concerned, this is not the first time he has spoken against the issue.

Read More:- Frank Lampard & Dean Smith Finalists For MLS’ Charlotte FC Coaching Job

The legendary midfielder previously blamed the former member of the Federation

In the 2002 World Cup qualifier, England destroyed Germany 5-1. After the match, Football Association chief executive Adam Crozier termed it as the start of a golden generation for the country in soccer. In an interview with the Guardian, Lampard mentioned that Adam was the one who brought the burden of the tag on the team. He also pointed out how he created unnecessary pressure and frustration for the team.

His former England and Chelsea teammate Ashley Cole also pointed out that the crop of players at that time was remarkable. However, for reasons unknown to them, they kept falling short, and other top international teams did well.

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule

The tag of Golden Generation has now shifted to the current England team under Gareth Southgate. Hence, the question is, will the team win the trophy in 2024 Euros? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.