Manchester City's David Silva said England will continue to struggle on the international stage as long as the Premier League plays without a winter break.
The midfielder won the 2010 World Cup with Spain, as well as two European Championships, and says England put themselves at a disadvantage by playing on Boxing Day.
Asked if England's recent defeats in major tournaments could be blamed on mentality, pressure, or the schedule, Silva told the Telegraph: "Probably all of those reasons. Maybe the English should stop playing in December.
"That would be perfect. But in the UK, it's a tradition to play during that period."
Silva also said that young English players are not well known in other European countries with top leagues -- just as the reverse was true when he first joined City from Valencia in 2010.
"England has a very good team," Silva said. "Rooney is maybe the most famous - but how many Spain players are known in England?
"When I joined City five years ago, Joe Hart didn't know me. He told me he hadn't heard of me.
"It happened with us for many years, not winning tournaments, but that moment passed and it can with England -- and they can become a great team again.
"If it's a mentality thing, that means it's in the mind -- but, with Spain, the technical staff all came together and everybody began to believe in themselves and the ideas.
"In Spain, we went for it and everyone can see what happened. We've a very good team, we've many good, young players coming through, so each time it gets harder to be in the squad."