It’s down on me - Southgate takes responsibility for penalties

Luke Shaw

scored the opener for

early doors, but failed to dominate the game and attack even after

Leonardo Bonucci

leveled the game.

“

We are hugely disappointed of course, I think firstly the players have been an absolute credit, they have given everything they possibly could,”

Gareth Southgate

told

BBC Sport

.

“Tonight exactly the same, they have run themselves into the ground. At times they played really well, at times we didn’t really keep the ball quite well enough. Especially at the start of the second half. But they can’t have recriminations. They have been an absolute joy to work with and they have gone further than we’ve gone for so long. But of course tonight it is incredibly painful in that dressing room.”

The Three Lions manager will be asked plenty of questions as he substituted

Marcus Rashford

and

Jadon Sancho

during the end of the extra-time only to take penalties, with both not meeting the target.

Bukayo Saka

’s attempt came undone by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Italy grabbed the trophy.

“That is it is down to me, I decided on the penalty takers based on what they have done in training and nobody is on their own. We have won together as a team and it is on all of us together to not be able to win the game tonight and in terms of penalties it is my call and it totally rests with me.

“We were well prepared and we started it well, unfortunately we weren’t able to convert tonight. They can’t look at themselves in terms of how they practice because they couldn’t have done that anymore or any better.”

England went into their first European Championship Final since 1966 but came out empty-handed.

“We are all together, they have given the country some unbelievable memories, tonight is going to be extremely difficult for all of us of course.

“You have to feel that disappointment because the opportunities to win trophies like this are so rare in your life. But when they reflect on what they have done, they should be incredibly proud of themselves.

“At the moment the pain of the defeat is huge, we wanted to give our nation one more special night and a first European championship and we haven’t quite been able to do it.”

Follow

for the