‘I can score penalties in my sleep’ – Rashford rues missed spot-kick at Euros final

Marcus Rashford has expressed regrets to have missed a penalty kick during a nerve-racking shootout in the Euro 2020 final against Italy last Sunday.

The England forward was one of the three English players who failed to convert their spot-kicks as the Three Lions lost 3-2 in the shootout with eventual champions Italy.

Rashford, who had taken a total of 17 penalties so far in his career prior to Sunday’s miss, has successfully converted 15 and failed to score only on two ocassions.

In a statement released on Monday following racist abuse directed at him, Rashford wondered how he could miss such an important kick, explaining that he could even score penalties in his sleep.

“I’ve had a difficult season, I think that’s been clear for everyone to see 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,” he wrote.

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“I felt as though I had let my team-mates down. I felt as if I’d let everyone 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 in my head over and over since I struck the ball and there’s probably not a word to quite describe how it feels. Final. 55 years. 1 penalty. History. All I can say is sorry.”

Rashford as well as Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka who also missed their penalties, were condemned to racial abuses by angry fans all over social media, who had wished England won their first major title in 55 years.

“I’ve grown into a sport where I expected to read things written about myself,” continued Rashford

“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.

“I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from.”

England will shift focus to the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar and hope to finally ‘bring football home’ by winning the title next year.

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