Didi Hamann Slams England NT and Premier League After Euros Exit

After the embarrassingly timid way that the Three Lions were knocked out of the Euros Round of 16 by Iceland, every pundit around the world has given their assessment of former manager Roy Hodgson's team. However, few pundit's opinions will matter as much to Liverpool fans as Reds legend Didi Hamann.

The former Liverpool player and German international featured in 191 games over seven seasons for the Reds, including participating in the famous treble in 2000-2001 and, of course, playing a pivotal role in winning the 2005 Champion's League trophy.

Now he's a sports pundit, and after England's early exit he did not go lightly on the country where he spent so much of his career.

"English people believe the hype of the Premier League," he said. "They have sold a Skoda for a Lamborghini for the last 15 years.

"The Premier League is average. If you look at Spain and Germany and the standard of football and look at the quality of football, it’s in a different league to England. Because it’s been watched all over the world, that doesn’t make it the best programme.

"They’ve created a brand, fair do to them, the players earn a lot of money, and all these players should light a candle every time they go to bed at night, because if they were Icelandic, Portuguese, Dutch or German, they would struggle to earn a quarter of the money they’re on now. It’s not their fault that the clubs are paying that money. But it’s over-inflated, the Premier League is a fraud."

"Because people generate so much money by watching it on television, people believe it is the best league in the world.

"In the Champions League, the English teams have been struggling for a number of years now. There were times 10-15 years where we had three teams in the semi-final.

"But the best players play in Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid, and they pay world-class wages for above average players."

Strong words from the man known for his strong opinions, but it's undeniable that the most talented players in the world are outside of the Premier League right now (excepting, of course, mighty Joe Allen).

Regarding England's loss to Iceland, he similarly didn't mince words: "Yes, it’s a shock in a way, but I don’t think we should be too surprised. It’s not that the English players weren’t interested, they were. But this is as good as they are.

"If you could look through the team, can you see anyone play for the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the next five years? Maybe Stones and Barkley, apart from that it’s bang average. And how many of these players would be on the radar of the top clubs (right now)? You could make a case for Sturridge and Rashford, who did more in the five minutes coming on than the rest of the team going forward."

Ouch. But with the way that England have consistently disappointed over the last four years under Roy Hodgson, it's easy to see his point. In the wake of Hodgson's resignation, however, it will be up to the next manager to figure out a way to get these players moving past this latest debacle and working together like a team in order to begin World Cup qualifying.