Gary Neville has said England have no chance of winning Euro 2012 and that he often felt playing for his country was a "waste of time".
"I don't see us competing seriously for a major tournament for at least 10 years," said recently-retired Neville.
And he added: "There have been times when I've reflected on my international career and just thought: 'Well that was a massive waste of time.'"
The ex-Manchester United defender won 85 caps and played in two World Cups.
"[I am] sorry for sounding sour, but my best mate, David Beckham, got butchered after the World Cup in 1998, then my brother, Phil, after Euro 2000," he continued.
"The whole lot of us got it in the neck at other times. Sometimes we deserved it, but playing for England was one long roller-coaster: some ups and downs, but also quite a few moments when you're not really sure if you're enjoying the ride."
Neville, who played 400 matches for United, claimed many England players fear playing for their country.
Writing in his book, Red, which is being serialised in the Mail on Sunday, he added: "It should be fantastic, the best moments of your life. But there is no doubt that too many players spend too much time fearing the consequence of failure when they pull on an England shirt."
Neville, who is now working as a media pundit, says he feels sorry for the players who are now embarking on their international careers with England.
"They are caught between these massive expectations and the reality of being good, sometimes very good, but probably not of tournament-winning quality," he wrote.
"The Premier League years have seen a rise in technique and skills and tactical intelligence, but it's not a transformation that can happen overnight. It will take time."
Now I'm no massive fan of Gary Neville, but I think he has a point. Obviously there will be the backlash of people going 'Waargh you shud b hapi to playe for ur country cuz its an honour' but honestly I can appreciate his position. The pressure is immense: you more or less have to win something else you're called a failure. Then, of course the press scapegoat someone. We wouldn't be able to do what Germany did in 2006, play well at a World Cup and work towards a long-term goal of improving to become serious challengers, because we DEMAND results NOW, and I think Neville has hit the nail on the head.
Linky: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14607562.stm
"I don't see us competing seriously for a major tournament for at least 10 years," said recently-retired Neville.
And he added: "There have been times when I've reflected on my international career and just thought: 'Well that was a massive waste of time.'"
The ex-Manchester United defender won 85 caps and played in two World Cups.
"[I am] sorry for sounding sour, but my best mate, David Beckham, got butchered after the World Cup in 1998, then my brother, Phil, after Euro 2000," he continued.
"The whole lot of us got it in the neck at other times. Sometimes we deserved it, but playing for England was one long roller-coaster: some ups and downs, but also quite a few moments when you're not really sure if you're enjoying the ride."
Too many players spend too much time fearing the consequence of failure
Gary NevilleEx-England and Man Utd defender
Neville, who played 400 matches for United, claimed many England players fear playing for their country.
Writing in his book, Red, which is being serialised in the Mail on Sunday, he added: "It should be fantastic, the best moments of your life. But there is no doubt that too many players spend too much time fearing the consequence of failure when they pull on an England shirt."
Neville, who is now working as a media pundit, says he feels sorry for the players who are now embarking on their international careers with England.
"They are caught between these massive expectations and the reality of being good, sometimes very good, but probably not of tournament-winning quality," he wrote.
"The Premier League years have seen a rise in technique and skills and tactical intelligence, but it's not a transformation that can happen overnight. It will take time."
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Now I'm no massive fan of Gary Neville, but I think he has a point. Obviously there will be the backlash of people going 'Waargh you shud b hapi to playe for ur country cuz its an honour' but honestly I can appreciate his position. The pressure is immense: you more or less have to win something else you're called a failure. Then, of course the press scapegoat someone. We wouldn't be able to do what Germany did in 2006, play well at a World Cup and work towards a long-term goal of improving to become serious challengers, because we DEMAND results NOW, and I think Neville has hit the nail on the head.
Linky: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14607562.stm
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