Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jermaine Jenas has admitted that he battled with ‘imposter syndrome’ during his international career, due to the perceived preferential treatment given to star players in the squad.
Jenas managed to win 21 senior caps for the Three Lions over the course of his career, which is not something to be scoffed at considering the talent England boasted in central midfield at the time (transfermarkt).
Apart from superstars like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes, Jenas also had to compete with the likes of Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Gareth Barry and Scott Parker to name a few.
The former Spurs star admitted that he did not often feel part of the England set up despite being called up to the squad as he knew he was not going to get picked to play ahead of the likes of Gerrard irrespective of how did in training.
Speaking to the British Army podcast, ‘The Locker’ (as relayed by The Independent), the 37-year-old said: “I had a couple of moments struggling with imposter syndrome throughout my career as a player.
“It was playing for England and it was nothing to do with my ability or my deserving of the position I was in.
“It was more to do with your surroundings. It’s a bit like the ‘England Boys’ Club’. They’re part of the England Boys’ Club and you’re there but you’re not quite there, if you know what I mean?
MORE SPURS STORIES
“During my time playing for England we had Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes. They were world-class players playing for Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal, all legends of the game.
“And no matter how well I was playing, how well I was training – there was myself, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves – we were just on the fringes.
“We just couldn’t seem to break through because the manager was set in his ways of, ‘They’re world-class players, they start and that’s it’.
“So you would kind of turn up to England and be like, ‘I’m not going to get a game here and I don’t really feel part of it’.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Based on what we have heard from various players who were part of the so-called ‘golden generation’, the atmosphere around the England camp was pretty poor back then, with club rivalries constantly creeping in. It does not sound like many of them enjoyed going away with England or even playing for the country.
That is why Gareth Southgate deserves a lot of credit for the atmosphere he has built around the England camp. The England players now genuinely seem to enjoy meeting up with one another, with almost a club-like mentality in the squad. That is a huge reason why the players have been able to do well in big tournaments, despite not boasting of as much talent as previous England sides.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
