A lot of what works for the England national team right now is the level of togetherness among the squad despite most players being involved in a number of Premier League rivalries. They still haven't won a trophy since 1966, but the Three Lions are coming off of their best ever finish at a World Cup (third) since then and made it to finals at both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.

It feels they are on the verge of ending that trophy drought with the generation of players that are in and around the national team and ever since the tenure of Gareth Southgate from the late fall of 2016 to the summer 2024, there's been a real sense of camaraderie in the squad. Thomas Tuchel has maintained this level of a brotherhood-type feel in what wasn't really as much of a thing back with the 'Golden Generation'

Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, and Frank Lampard have all previously spoken about that squad that failed to convince despite the star-studded names called upon. They have all mentioned too many cliques in the squad back in the early to mid 2000s.

Former Man Utd Star James Garner Reveals Childhood Team

In today's game, club rivalries aren't the same as they used to be - they certainly seem to be a bit less polarizing than they once were in the Premier League. Everton midfielder James Garner, who was recently in the England squad for the quartet of UEFA Nations League matches, provided an example of that sentiment.

Previously a youngster at Manchester United, he spent time on loan at Watford and Nottingham Forest before winding up at Everton but worked his way through United's youth academy in his early years. He eventually made his break into the first team in 2018 and was given his first senior appearance for the club in 2019 by Ole Gunnar Solskjær, albeit having come on in the 90th minute.

Despite having spent the majority of his childhood and youth years at United, Garner recently revealed that he was actually a Liverpool fan as a kid, having been born in Birkenhead on Merseyside.

Garner told More Than a Match podcast last spring:

"When I was a kid I was a Liverpool fan. But now I’m just a football fan in general. Last season was the first time I’d played at Anfield and it was a mad feeling for me."

The Mentality To Make It In Academies

While he never quite worked out as a senior player at Manchester United, Garner has made a solid career for himself after working his way through the academy and eventually joining Everton permanently.

Going through the youth system can often be a daunting prospect for a lot of young players, but Garner knows he had the proper mindset to make it after watching his older brother do the same before he ultimately decided it wasn't for him.

For him, family plays a key role: "I think that's where your family plays a big role, because if you get released early doors, you're a bit more immature and you don't quite understand the reasons why you are getting released. And you think, why is my best mates being kept on and I'm being released?"

He added: That's when you need your family to make you understand you've done nothing wrong. There's a different path. I think that's where family plays a massive part with things that go wrong, really. "

Garner has earned five caps for England since debuting in March of this year at the age of 25. He is one of Everton's most important players and is one of surely only a few players who grew up supporting Liverpool before playing for their two biggest rivals.