T1BBC Sport Football11% accurate26 Jun 2026
Golden Generation
Generational footballing talents, showbiz wives and girlfriends, a first foreign manager in Sven-Goran Eriksson – with a colourful private life to boot – their every move made the front and back pages of the newspapers at a time when celebrity culture was exploding. There was one player’s inclusion in the 23-man squad that raised a lot of eyebrows at the time – Theo Walcott, a 17-year-old who had yet to play for Arsenal following his move from Southampton the previous January. McClaren recalls Eriksson had “just wanted youth and energy around the squad” but acknowledged that in hindsight, it might not have been the best move given the injury problems that were to come. An emotional Beckham resigned as captain and McClaren took over as manager.
