The shamed stars touched down at Heathrow Airport shortly after 6am and immediately tried to shuffle out of view.
Accompanying the humiliated players were their WAGs, headed by Frank Lampard's girlfriend Christine Bleakley, John Terry's wife Toni and Glen Johnson's wife Laura.
But the players' pain after losing in the World Cup will be eased a little by the fact that they are returning home to lucrative sponsorship and event contracts on top of their massive Premiership pay packets.
Walk of shame: Humiliated England players exit their plane at Heathrow airport this morning
Disappointing: Wayne Rooney, who failed to shine at this year's World Cup, makes his way down the plane's steps carrying his washbag - but no sign of the special pillow he took with him on the flight out to South Africa
The 'famous five' players John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard all earn well over £100,000 a week, while Gerrard and Rooney will each earn an extra £500,000 for two days' work at a gladiatoresque skills competition next month.
The players can also take some consolation from an apology issued by FIFA president Sepp Blatter over the blunder which cost them a crucial second goal in Sunday's 4-1 defeat against Germany.
The referee Jorge Larrionda disallowed Frank Lampard's goal, despite it clearly passing more than a yard over the line.
The error led to angry questions about why goal-line technology was not being utilised during the World Cup.
Mr Blatter said today that FIFA will 'naturally take on board the discussion on technology and will have the first opportunity to discuss this in July at the business meeting of the International FA Board'.
Today the players, many of whom were dressed in official England team suits, appeared weary as they walked across the tarmac to waiting cars.
Unlike returning fans, the players were whisked through a VIP suite without having to pass through one of Heathrow's terminals - or face the waiting press.
They were then driven to their mansions in a fleet of people carriers.
The team had boarded the plane at Bloemfontein Airport last night, where fans were trying to rearrange flights after selling off their tickets for the quarter and semi-finals.
In addition to Lampard's disallowed goal, Sunday night's match between Argentina and Mexico also threw up a controversial incident, with Carlos Tevez scoring the opening goal from a blatantly offside position.
Mr Blatter today told a media briefing in Johannesburg: 'It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board in July.
'Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it's not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen.
'The only thing I can do is yesterday I have spoken to the two federations (England and Mexico) directly concerned by referees mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticising.
'We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have first opportunity in July at the business meeting.'
Mr Blatter added that FIFA would launch a new drive to improve refereeing standards at the top level later this year.
'We will come out with a new model in November on how to improve high level referees,' he added.
'We will start with a new concept of how to improve match control. I cannot disclose more of what we are doing but something has to be changed.'
Watch your step: Fabio Capello, centre, smiles as he watches Emile Heskey's children walk down the stairs accompanied by their mother Chantelle Tagoe
Safe arrival: Joe Cole carries three-month-old daughter Ruby Tatiana down the steps of the plane, with wife Carly leading the way
Handy man: A few hours later, Cole arrives home carrying his bags and the frame of his baby's buggy
Motherly love: Carly Cole shields her baby from the drizzle as she arrives at home with her husband Joe
Manager Fabio Capello has so far refused to quit after the cowardly FA failed to sack him.
The 64-year-old Italian hung on for a potential £12million payout despite masterminding the 4-1 defeat to Germany on Sunday - England's worst-ever performance in a World Cup match.
Unless a compromise is thrashed out, it means the Football Association faces having to honour the remaining two years of his £6million-a-year contract which expires after the 2012 European Championships.
The FA will announce its decision on Capello's future in a fortnight's time - giving the England manager plenty of time to jet off on holiday with his wife, Laura.
The couple were spotted leaving their home for the airport just hours after Capello touched down at Heathrow from South Africa.
Fleeing the country: Fabio Capello and wife Laura jet off on holiday today just hours after the England manager returned from South Africa
Capello yesterday insisted he wanted to continue in the job - and blamed his players' 'tiredness' for England's dismal performance.
'They did not perform like I know they can,' he said.
If tiredness really is the issue, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney will be keen to get some rest before they compete in a Gladiatoresque football skills contest at the 02 arena, for which they will each receive £500,000.
In an event billed as 'theatre meets sport', the England stars will have to make themselves available for a mere 48 hours - one day for promotional purposes, and one for the competition itself, called A:3K.
The pair will go head to head with stars such as Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and Portuguese captain Christiano Ronaldo.
Tens of millions of pounds has been spent on the debut tournament which will take place on July 17 - six days after the World Cup final - and be televised a few days later on ITV1.
It also emerged today that five cleaners have been jailed for three years after stealing items worth £7,000 from the players - including underwear - police have confirmed.
Detectives were called to investigate on Saturday after Football Association bosses made a complaint about a string of thefts at the five star Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus near Rustenburg in South Africa.
The procession of England fans that trooped through Heathrow's Terminal 5 this morning were still dismayed by the performance of Fabio Capello's team.
Stephen Bailey, a train driver from Ramsgate, was stunned by the lack of acknowledgement from players for the huge travelling support after they were thrashed by Germany on Sunday.
'We were supposed to fly home on Friday but paid an extra £1,000 each to watch the Germany game and we're absolutely gutted about it now,' he said.
'When you see the England players laughing and joking while getting off the plane at Rustenburg it makes you wonder if it was worthwhile going out there to watch it.
'After the Germany game they didn't acknowledge the fans at all. Steven Gerrard gave a little clap and that was it.
'That was gutting given how much money we'd spent to get there - around £6,500 each in total. We saved two years for this.
'I thought we were okay against Germany but then the players ran out of steam. They didn't seem to have the legs for it.
'The excuse now is that they're tired, but it's their job to play football and they get paid a lot of money to do it.
'If we're tired at work, we still have to carry on and do our job.
'I don't know where it went wrong. They do it for their Premiership clubs. I'm absolutely gutted.'
Kerrie Hutchinson, a process manager from Hull, railed against the players' lack of passion but laid the blame for England's dire performance at Capello's door.
'We had a brilliant time in South Africa - apart from the football,' she said.
'It was very disappointing. We spent a lot of money to get there but we didn't see any passion at all from the players.
'The football was absolutely rubbish. Wayne Rooney looked injured but I blame Fabio Capello because of the selection and formation.
'It cost us over £10,000 to get there. We were supposed to come home on Friday but spent £700 to spend two extra nights to see the Germany game, plus spending money.'
Neil Lennon, an English teacher from Harrow, also directed his anger at Capello.
The glory days: Crowds of fans fill the streets of Luton as they welcome home the England football team from the 1990 World Cup. Today few supporters turned out to welcome the 2010 team home
No quitting: England manager Fabio Capello insisted he won't resign as he spoke at today's press conference
On their way home: The England team coach takes the players from their hotel in Rustenberg to the airport
'We're bitterly disappointed. The second round isn't good enough for this crop of players, the so-called golden generation,' he said.
'It's not acceptable. There seemed to be unrest in the camp - we heard John Terry's interview and thought what's going on?
'Capello is more accountable - the players gave their all, you could see that. They can only play in the positions they've been given.
'Why was Gerrard played on the left? Where was Joe Cole? With our potential we could have won the World Cup, so to go out in the second round is poor.' ( dailymail.co.uk )
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