Rio Ferdinand has revealed why his relationship broke down with ‘best friend’ Frank Lampard.
The two Premier League veterans became rivals after growing up together at West Ham.
Ex-Manchester United skipper Ferdinand was regularly battling against his former team-mate after he signed for Chelsea.
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This rivalry led to the two players struggling to put their club rivalry to one side while on international duty.
As a result, the previously close relationship between the two England stars suffered.
The Red Devils legend said: “We had a generation that were nicknamed the golden generation of players where expectations were huge for us as a national team to go out and win something.
“And that there is what held us back. Not being able to separate club ties to international football.
“I wrote a chapter in my book about Frank Lampard. We grew up together at West Ham, then we went our separate ways.
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“I went to Man Utd and he went to Chelsea. We did everything together from 16 to 21, we roomed together, travelled together, did everything together.
“When I went to Man Utd and he went to Chelsea, we stopped talking. We never spoke about it, we just stopped talking.
“I wrote this chapter at the end of my career, before it went out, out of courtesy. I sent it to Frank and asked him if it was okay to include.
“He text me back saying if he had written a chapter on me, it would have been word for word. Exactly the same.
“We didn’t hate each other but I didn’t want to give him anything that he could take back to Chelsea.
“I just didn’t like him anymore really because he was playing for Chelsea. He was getting his hands on a trophy that I wanted. It was an obsession with winning.
“We grew apart and didn’t speak. But now we speak. He was at my birthday the other day.
“What sport can do to a personal relationship is nuts. Its mad. All for the obsession of winning.”