Three of England's golden generation have admitted that club rivalries prevented them from hitting the heights they were expected to at international level.

Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard revealed the relationship they formed during their younger days at West Ham evaporated when they went their separate ways, ending up at Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea.

Along with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, speaking to BT Sport's Jake Humphrey after Chelsea's 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday night, they talked about how their competition at club level hampered their progress on the international stage.

(L-R) Frank Lampard, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard with England

The trio feel rivalries at club level were hard to put aside when it came to playing for England

'We came through at West Ham together, did everything together like proper mates,' Ferdinand said of Lampard. 'I left and went to Leeds then Manchester United, Frank went to Chelsea and around that time our communication just disintegrated.

'It was down to, from my perspective, the obsession with winning. I didn't want to see Frank have an edge on me.

'It was the same with Stevie and England, when we were battling them (Liverpool) for the Premier League, I didn't want to sit around and have a beer with him because I didn't want to hear what Liverpool were doing... I think that's what held us back.'

Lampard echoed Ferdinand, saying it was difficult to go from fierce competition at club level to bonding with the same players on international duty.

👊 Why England's Golden Generation failed

👀 Club vs Country debate@rioferdy5, Lampard and Gerrard's compelling chat on England in full 👏 pic.twitter.com/wehujoGGBD — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 25, 2017

Ferdinand said England lacked the manager brave enough to make the most of their talent

'You feel so passionately about the club you play with your team-mates, your own performances that to be a bit pally with someone you're competitive with... it may have [held back England],' said Lampard, who won 106 caps for England. 'We didn't hate each other but by nature we would sit on different tables.'

Lampard contrasted the situation with England, where players all play in the Premier League, to countries where talent is spread across more than one domestic league.

'A lot of other nations have players playing all over the world and then they come back together and they don't have that competition - every week we were at each other,' he added.

Gerrard agreed: 'I think it was more of a respectful relationship around England rather than a closeness where there was love there.'

Lampard and Gerrard failed to form an effective partnership playing in the heart of a 4-4-2

Gerrard and Lampard were fierce rivals at club level playing for Chelsea and Liverpool

ENGLAND CAREERS Frank Lampard Debut: October 10 1999 in 2-1 friendly win over Belgium - aged 21 Caps and goals: 106 (29 goals) Steven Gerrard Debut: May 31 2000 in 2-0 friendly win over Ukraine - aged 20 Caps and goals: 114 (21 goals) Rio Ferdinand Debut: November 15 1997 in 2-0 friendly win over Cameroon - aged 19 Caps and goals: 81 (3 goals) Advertisement

'[Philippe] Coutinho can't wait to go away with Brazil, it's the best 10 days of their season. But you didn't get that feeling with England.

'We have to improve the bond, the togetherness and the closeness and I think Gareth [Southgate] is trying to do that and I think that will help results on the pitch.'

England's golden generation were packed with talented players but managers struggled to get the right formula - with Gerrard and Lampard unable to recreate their form at club level with the national team.

The pair played alongside eachother in a midfield two for England in a 4-4-2 formation but struggled to flourish as a partnership.

The three pundits felt England lacked a manager flexible enough to make the most of what he describes as 'the best midfielders in the world' at that time.

Gerrard said England players don't have the same feeling as Philippe Coutinho does with Brazil

'I don't think we had a manager that was brave enough to sort out our midfield,' said Ferdinand. 'On paper we had the best midfielders in the world at the time: Lampard, Gerrard, [Paul] Scholes, [David] Beckham, [Owen] Hargreaves, [Michael] Carrick... and we played a rigid 4-4-2.

'When you have the best players in the world you try and get them in a team - whether that's a diamond... you play them.

'You see Spain and Germany - they [England's midfielders] would have fitted into those teams because they would have made sure their best and most creative players were on the pitch.'

David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen were key players in the Golden Generation

Gerrard, pictured with Fabio Capello, said England's managers lacked a true philosophy

The furthest England reached at an international tournament during the 2000s was three successive quarter-finals at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Under Eriksson's successors Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello, England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and were knocked out in the second round of the 2010 World Cup.

'I don't think we had a manager with a philosophy that worked,' Gerrard said. 'We played very individual and I didn't feel we were part of a team that played a certain way and that's the way we stuck to under a certain manager.'