Marcus Rashford has revealed his penalty agony after missing during England’s shootout defeat by Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday.
The Manchester United striker was brought on in the last minute of extra time to take a spot kick, but his effort clipped the outside of a post.
Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka then saw their efforts saved as Italy won the shootout 3-2, after which all three players suffered vile racist taunts on social media.
The players and head coach Gareth Southgate rallied around the trio on Monday, with Southgate labelling the abuse ‘unforgivable’ and captain Harry Kane telling the bigots: ‘We don’t want you.’
A mural of Rashford in Greater Manchester was defaced in the hours following the final, but locals responded by covering the graffiti with messages of support for the striker.
In a statement on Twitter on Monday night, Rashford, 23, said: ‘I don’t even know how to put into words how I’m feeling at this exact time. I’ve had a difficult season and I probably went into that final with a lack of confidence.
‘I’ve always backed myself for a penalty but something didn’t feel quite right.
‘During the long run-up I was saving myself a bit of time and unfortunately the result was not what I wanted. I felt as though I had let my team-mates down. A penalty was all I’d been asked to contribute for the team. I can score penalties in my sleep so why not that one?
‘It’s been playing over in my head — there’s probably not a word to describe how it feels. Final. Fifty-five years. One penalty. History. All I can say is sorry. I wish it had gone differently.
‘Whilst I continue to say sorry, I want to shout out my team-mates. A brotherhood has been built and that is unbreakable.
‘Your success is my success. Your failures are mine.’
Rashford also took on the abuse he received online and at the mural, saying: ‘I’ve grown into a sport where I expect to read things written about myself. Whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up or, most recently, how I decide to spend my time off the pitch.