Anthony Gordon has called on the Three Lions to use England’s strengths and not play like other teams.
The winger, who now plays his football in Spain with Barcelona, spoke to the press ahead of England’s first Nations League match on Saturday.
The 25-year-old opened the scoring in the Three Lions’ World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, with his strike cancelled out by two late goals.
Gordon believes part of the loss was due to tactical shortcomings, which are part of a wider issue of England not knowing their own identity.
He said: “I think culturally it’s not just that tournament or that game where we couldn’t control the game.
“England as a nation, we don’t have that strength like the Spanish, where we control games like they do. It’s not in us, I’m not sure it’s something that can be taught.
“I think playing in Spain, I can speak with an educated view, and the way they keep the ball is different. I’m not sure we can ever get that.
“We know how to keep possession, but it’s the decision-making of certain players in Spain which just isn’t a natural thing.
Anthony Gordon has called on the Three Lions to use ‘England’s strengths’
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“I even look at some of the decisions they take on the ball sometimes and think: ‘I’m not sure how you’ve seen that.’ They’re definitely built differently.”
Gordon urged England not to replicate Spain, believing the Three Lions can find a way past the World Champions.
He said: “The Spanish players lack the things that we have and vice versa.
“I think we need to stop looking elsewhere as a country and be proud of who we are.”
Gordon plays his football out in Spain with Barcelona
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Gordon’s comments echo Thomas Tuchel’s, who suggested English football’s DNA doesn’t include playing particular styles.
After naming his squad for the Nations League, Tuchel said English players struggled to dictate fixtures and dominate possession.
He said: “I’m just wrestling with myself because even if you control matches in the Premier League, how many English players are there in these teams that really try to control matches?
“Is this in our DNA? Do we really value control? Is this something that makes us feel good in a match? Is this something that comes easy to us?
The forward scored in England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina
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“Do we even realise: ‘Oh, we’re controlling a midfield, everything is fine?’ Or do we go like: ‘Yeah, but we’re stuck in midfield we should go, we should attack?’
“This is also something I’m still mixed [about] because I saw training sessions on the very highest level of my career.
“But I see training sessions with a lot of speed, with a lot of ball speed, with a lot of physicality, with a lot of dribbling.
“So, it makes me just struggle, how and when, because we’re talking about the highest-pressure moments.
“We talk about semi-final against Argentina, 80 per cent of the stadium is Argentinian, so now can you please become Spain for 15 minutes?”
England play their first Nations League fixture on Saturday against Spain at 7:45pm.
