Two decades on, the debate surrounding England's so-called Golden Generation refuses to die. Joe Cole, a central figure in that star-studded era, says the honest answer is that nobody can pin down a single cause for why that group of exceptional players never won a major tournament.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Cole acknowledged the enormous quality England possessed during the Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello years. The squad featured David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Ashley Cole — players ranked among the finest in the world in their respective positions. Yet a quarter-final proved to be an unbreakable ceiling across multiple competitions.

Pressure? The players barely noticed

Despite the expectation that came with such a talented squad, Cole insists the players were largely shielded from outside pressure by the demands of elite competition itself.