Rooney responded to Gerrard about selfish losers in the England team.

Wayne Rooney on the attitude towards England's Golden Generation

According to The Sun: Wayne Rooney insists that doubting the attitude of England's Golden Generation is "disrespectful".

Recently, Steven Gerrard sparked outrage with his comments, calling his teammates "selfish losers".

Gerrard also noted that the "rivalry" between Liverpool and Manchester United players was one of the reasons they failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals of major tournaments.

However, Rooney believes that the current England squad does not have a better attitude than their generation.

He expressed his opinion on The Wayne Rooney Show:

"I wouldn't say the attitude is better. It's disrespectful on our part, as we worked hard, we tried."

"What you have now are players from rival teams training together before returning for pre-season preparation — Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford, for example. This is a different generation."

"In the past, it was difficult to build relationships between Liverpool and Manchester United players. Now it's easier. I often talk to Steven."

Rooney, who held the record for most goals for the England national team until Harry Kane surpassed him in 2023, also doesn't fully agree with Gerrard's view of "selfish losers".

"I wouldn't call it that, but I understand what he means. There were many big personalities in the dressing room."

He and Gerrard played over 100 matches for England, scoring a total of 74 goals together.

New successes of the England national team

However, years of failure have given way to new achievements after the Golden Generation's career ended.

The England national team reached the Euro final and the World Cup semi-final under Gareth Southgate's management.

Now Thomas Tuchel has a young squad ready for the 2026 World Cup.

Thus, while Gerrard's words reflected some criticism of the past, Rooney emphasizes that the attitude of modern players also deserves respect. The England national team now has new prospects that promise a bright future for the team on the international stage.