Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers insists British players are as good as any in the world.
The idea that English players are not as technically accomplished as Spaniards and Italians does not wash with Rodgers. He is happy to present his team, genuine challengers in league and cup, as Exhibit A.
"My life's work has been trying to show that British players can play. I grew up being told they weren't as good technically or tactically as European players - it's the biggest tosh I've ever heard," he says.
"It's about giving players confidence. British players are born the same as Spanish players but we have an inferiority complex.
"I've worked with kids from the age of five to world-class players at Chelsea and Liverpool. I have a decent idea what technique looks like and British players are as good as Europeans. John Terry was a brilliant footballer and tactically brilliant. Steven Gerrard is the best I've worked with for tempo and technique. An England team with Gerrard, Lampard and Paul Scholes in midfield should have dominated games, dominated the ball."
