Marcus Rashford
England forward Marcus Rashford apologised for his penalty miss but said he “will never apologise for who I am” after he was one of three players subjected to racist abuse following England’s Euro 2020 final defeat.
Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka missed their spot-kicks as Italy won 3-2 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.
All three players were targeted on social media after the game.
“I felt as if I’d let everyone down,” Rashford wrote in a statement.
The 23-year-old Manchester United attacker added: “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.
“I’ve felt no prouder moment than wearing those three lions on my chest and seeing my family cheer me on in a crowd of tens of thousands.”
A mural in Rashford’s hometown of Withington was defaced after his penalty miss, before it was covered in messages of support.
On Monday, England boss Gareth Southgate said the racist abuse was “unforgivable”, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Football Association also condemned it.
The Metropolitan Police is investigating the abuse and said “it will not be tolerated”, while the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) has also launched an investigation.
“I don’t even know where to start and I don’t even know how to put into words how I am feeling at this exact time.
“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 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. 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?” he added.