Frank Lampard acknowledges Paul Scholes while highlighting the main issue with England’s ‘Golden Generation.’

Frank Lampard reflected on former England teammate Paul Scholes while discussing the shortcomings of the national team’s ‘Golden Generation.’

In 2004, England were considered one of the best international teams, with Sven-Goran Eriksson overseeing a squad brimming with young talent poised for greatness. However, despite their individual success at club level, the team failed to come together and secure a major international title. Key players included Lampard, Scholes, and Steven Gerrard, but the trio struggled to coexist in Eriksson’s 4-4-2 system.

Scholes was often deployed out of position on the left wing to accommodate Lampard and Gerrard, a role that contributed to his decision to retire from international football in 2004. Following his retirement, Scholes thrived at Manchester United in a deeper midfield role, earning accolades for his performances.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, hosted by Sky Bet, Lampard shared his perspective on the midfield dilemma. He admitted that England might have performed better with a different tactical setup. “Paul Scholes was an incredible player. When I joined the England squad, I probably disrupted things a bit as another attacking midfielder, giving us three in that role,” Lampard said. “We had a decent Euros in 2004 but were knocked out, and then Scholesy retired. He went on to play deeper at Manchester United, like a quarterback, and was unreal.”

Lampard acknowledged the missed opportunity of utilizing Scholes in a deeper midfield role earlier but noted that Scholes was initially more focused on attacking contributions. He also highlighted the team’s other challenges, such as injuries to key players like Michael Owen, which further disrupted their cohesion. Lampard concluded, “Maybe adding another midfielder to balance things out would have made a diffe

rence.”