SOUTHGATE: A NEW ERA FREE OF RIVALRIES

GARETH SOUTHGATE has insisted there are no more cliques within the England squad.

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand (below) claimed that the Golden Generation was torn apart by club rivalries from Manchester United and Liverpool players.

But England boss Southgate (above) says this is a “new era” and the players have grown up together through the age groups.

Southgate, who has named the third youngest squad in England’s World Cup history, said: “It’s a different era, a different group of players and a lot of them have played together at younger age groups.

“And, at the moment, there hasn’t been that intense club rivalry, perhaps, that there was 10 or 15 years ago.

“Maybe that will happen over the next few years, but, for now, they are enjoying each other’s company. Some are, obviously, closer to each other than others and, in terms of individual relationships, they have known each other for a long time, like (Marcus) Rashford and (Jesse) Lingard at United together, (Fabian) Delph and (Danny) Rose started together at Leeds as kids, so they are very tight.

“But you see them all with the rest of the group as well and they have individual conversations or in threes or fours or bigger groups. “They just want to go and have a crack at the tournament – and that’s my view as well. We have got to attack it. It’s wrong to say they have no fear because any sportsman going into a big competition has those moments of, ‘What might happen?’.

“But we want them to play in a brave way and express things that they do with their clubs.

“And I think they have belief that the personal qualities they have – and the qualities that they have as a team – are starting to come. They know they’re improving.”