They were all part of the Three Lions’ so-called Golden Generation, which boasted world-class talent but failed to come together as a team and win any of the major tournaments they competed in. Club divides are often discussed as one of the main issues that blighted the squad at that time.
Players would tend to stick with their usual team-mates during the camps. And something Terry and Lampard would routinely do together has now been exposed by Rooney, as recalled on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast brought to you by SkyBet.
He said: “I used to get one [massage] about 9pm, but then always after me, the last ones were JT and Lamps. Bill [McCulloch], who was the Chelsea masseuse, was in there.
“He’d massage them, then they’d go into bed and get their feet out the end of the bed, and he’d massage them until they fell asleep.
Gary Neville looked disgusted at Rooney's revelation (Image: YouTube/The Overlap)
"Gospel truth. Massage their feet until they fell asleep and then he tucked them in. I swear.”
His co-hosts were in disbelief, with Roy Keane shaking his head, Ian Wright exclaiming “for f*** sake”, and Gary Neville joking: “No wonder we f***ing lost.” Terry reportedly persuaded Steve McLaren to bring McCullogh into his backroom team when he was made captain.
Rooney had his own embarrassing massage admission just last week, telling Neville in a one-on-one interview that he’d listen to Britain’s Got Talent legend Susan Boyle while getting a rub down.
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Rooney claims Lampard and Terry would be massaged to sleep (Image: Getty)
The Three Lions are among the favourites to win this summer's Euro 2024 tournament and you can get your hands on the brand new Nike home and away kits before the first whistle.
“I’d normally get on the massage bed, and I’d actually put Susan Boyle on – Wild Horses. It just helped me settle down I think – only for that little bit of time I was on the massage bed,” he explained.
Neville then asked: “You always used to get a massage didn’t you?” To which Rooney replied: “Just a quick one to get my blood flowing.”
He, Lampard and Terry picked up a combined 304 England caps between them. Gareth Southgate’s current crop will be looking to do what they couldn’t at Euro 2024 in Germany, which gets underway in 10 days’ time.
