It was, undoubtedly, one of the biggest moments of Marcus Rashford’s football career, and when he saw his penalty kick against Italy in the Euro 2020 final graze the outside of the post, the young Manchester United striker would surely have felt the deep disappointment more than anyone.
It doesn’t seem to matter how many times you practice penalties, in a cauldron such as there was at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, and with the weight of a nation on your shoulders, it’s no real wonder that players fluff their lines.
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The majority of players, management, supporters and pundits have been gracious and supportive towards those whose spot-kick failures ultimately handed the trophy to the Azzurri.
However, one former Dutch international who’s no stranger to controversy, had to twist the knife a little further.
“He’s young and I don’t think it’s that sad,” Rafael van der Vaart said on Dutch TV, reported by Voetbalzone and cited by the Daily Mail when talking about Rashford’s miss from the spot.
“He can just take a normal run-up, can’t he? It’s all a little interesting. If he already knows he is going to go left, he might as well stand there, right?”
Whilst it’s expected that some pundits will say anything to keep themselves relevant, sometimes the less is more approach will earn far more respect.