Euros 2020: 'I said I wanted to take one,' Grealish hits back at critics after England's loss

England midfielder Jack Grealish hit back after being lambasted by critics for not taking the decisive penalty in his side's penalty shootout loss to Italy in the Euros 2020 final on Sunday.

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma blocked Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka's kicks from the spot after Marcus Rashford hit the post for England in the penalty shootout. Harry Kane and Harry Maguire scored for England in the shootout. Even though English shot-stopper Jordan Pickford denying Andrea Belotti and Jorginho from the spot, Italy clinched a 3-2 win, following a 1-1 draw through the first 120 minutes.

The 19-year-old Saka, who has never taken a penalty for his club Arsenal, was handed the responsibility of taking the all-important fifth kick in the shootout for England. His failed kick sealed the game for Giorgio Chiellini's side as Italy lifted the European Championship trophy for the second time.

"I said I wanted to take one," Jack Grealish wrote on Twitter.

"The gaffer has made so many right decisions through this tournament and he did tonight. But I won't have people say that I didn't want to take a peno when I said I will," added Aston Villa captain Grealish in the same tweet.

After England's heartbreaking loss in the Euros 2020 final, former Manchester United star Roy Keane condemned England's senior players like Grealish and Raheem Sterling for not leading from the front during the penalty shootout against Italy.

"If you're (Raheem) Sterling or (Jack) Grealish, you cannot sit there and have a young kid [Saka] go up for a penalty ahead of you, you can't. You cannot let a shy 19-year-old go up in front of you. They have a lot more experience, Sterling has won trophies, they had to get in front of the young kid and stand up," Keane told ITV.

However, during a post-match interview, England's head coach Gareth Southgate took the blame for England's penalty shootout loss, saying he decided to put teenager Saka as his team's final penalty taker.

"The penalty takers are my call," Southgate said. "We worked on them in training. It is not down to the players. Tonight it has not gone for us, but we knew they were the best takers we had left on the pitch. Of course, it is heartbreaking for the boys but they are not to blame for that, it is my call as the coach who takes penalties," said Southgate.