Marcus Rashford has vowed to come back stronger after missing his penalty in England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy, also thanking the fans for their support.
The Manchester United star was subbed on deep into extra-time to take a spot-kick, but he dragged his shot against the outside of the post.
Sancho and Bukayo Saka also saw their efforts saved and the trio were all subjected to racist abuse on social media after the game, while a mural of Rashford was defaced – though the abusive graffiti was covered with supportive messages and pictures afterwards.
Rashford, who has been carrying an injury for much of the year, apologised for not scoring his penalty but stood defiant against the abuse he received from fans, speaking proudly about his roots.
‘I don’t even know where to start and I don’t even know how to put into words how I’m feeling at this exact time,’ Rashford wrote on social media on Monday.
‘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. During the run up I was saving myself a bit of time and unfortunately the result was not what I wanted.
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‘I felt as though I had let my teammates 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. One penalty. History. All I can say is sorry. I wish it had gone differently.
‘Whilst I continue to say sorry I want to shoutout to my teammates. This summer has been one of the best camps I’ve experienced and you’ve all played a role in that. A brotherhood has been built that is unbreakable. Your success is my success. Your failures are mine.
‘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 decided 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 or where I came from.
‘I’ve felt no prouder moment than wearing these three lions on my chest and seeing my family cheer me on in a crowd of 10s of thousands. I dreamt of days like this.
‘The messages I’ve received today have been positively overwhelming and seeing the response in Withington had me on the verge of tears. The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up.
‘I’m Marcus Rashford, 23 years old, black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that.
‘For all the kind messages, thank you. I’ll be back stronger. We’ll be back stronger.’
