"You did it for me and Marcus" - Jadon Sancho sends heartwarming message to Bukayo Saka as he puts aside Euro 2020 penalty demons
Manchester United attacker Jadon Sancho sent a congratulatory message to Bukayo Saka after the latter converted his penalty in the shootout vs Switzerland. England got the better of the Swiss in the shootout after the game finished 1-1 after extra time.
Sancho praise his compatriot for staying strong and converting his spot-kick, especially after the EURO 2020 final. Saka, Sanch and Marcus Rashford had all missed their penalties in the final against Italy. The England international, not part of the EURO 2024 squad, wrote on is Instagram story:
"I’m so proud of this guy! You did it for me and Marcus, brother."
Saka also spoke about the penalty after the game, admitting that he wanted to tackle the situation upfront after the miss against Italy. The Arsenal star stated that he always believed in himself and was not thinking of the past. He told the media (via Metro):
"I think for me it’s something I embrace. You can fail once but you have a choice whether you put yourself in that position again or not. I’m a guy who is going to put myself in that position. I believed in myself. When I saw the ball hit the net, I was a very happy man. I’m not going to be focusing on the past. That’s done. I can only focus on now and taking a penalty. Of course I know there’s a lot of nervous people watching, my family included and in the crowd. But I kept my cool and I scored."
England managed to make it to the semifinal after beating Switzerland in the penalty shootout. The Three Lions drew 1-1 after 120 minutes and then won 5-3 in the shootout.
Notably, Saka also scored the equalizer for England in the 80th minute to take game into extra time. Breel Emboli opened the scoring for Switzerland in the 75th minute.
England manager praises Bukayo Saka after EURO 2024 win over Switzerland
Bukayo Saka elevated his performance when the Three Lions needed it the most. England manager Gareth Southgate heaped praise on the Arsenal star and said (via EuroSport):
“People like Bukayo had to do such an important job without the ball as well as being such an important outlet with it. We felt with the ball, the patterns that we used caused them problems at the side of their block. With Bukayo, we knew we had a one-v-one advantage in that area of the pitch. As well as all of that worked, then you have to show other qualities to win in tournaments. And these players are showing unbelievable qualities of character and resilience."
Bukayo Saka's England will now face Tmthe Netherlands in the semifinal on Wednesday, July 19. France will take on Spain in the other semifinal, with the final set for July 14.