After England’s World Cup elimination by France, Jack Grealish said they will “make history” in their next competitions, and Marcus Rashford respoded in accord.
On Saturday, Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud goals kept France’s chances of winning the World Cup alive, causing England to lose in the quarterfinals for the seventh time in the tournament’s history.
At the Al Bayt Stadium, Harry Kane converted one penalty and missed another, giving England the typical sinking sensation. However, Grealish is confident that Gareth Southgate’s team can make amends in the future.
The playmaker for Manchester City was disappointed that things did not work out this time since he was sure that England was headed for trophy success.
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“Absolutely devastated to go out, words can’t describe it as I really thought this was our year,” Grealish wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
“I’m so proud to be part of this team and it’s been a privilege to be with this group of players and staff for the past four weeks.
“We all have an unbelievable bond and we look forward to the future because we want to make history for all of you at home.
“Thank you to every England fan for your support during the past four weeks.”
Rashford, who along with Bukayo Saka scored three goals for England in Qatar, has a similar demeanor to Grealish.
“The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions, each and every one of our team gave everything we had to be ready for what was thrown at us,” Rashford said in a Tweet.
“We got close, but not close enough. I’ll make a promise that we will come again! Thank you for the unconditional support.”
Manager Southgate believes the identity of England’s quarter-final opponents makes it difficult to say whether his team’s campaign should be considered a success.
“Before any tournament, people are always asking what round you need to get to for it to be a success,” Southgate said in a video on England’s media channels.
“I’ve always said that’s hard to define, because you can play a France and have the type of game we’ve had, and have a different reaction to getting to a final or a semi-final, as we’ve experienced.
“It’s a difficult time for everybody in our country, and I think the players have represented them in the right way, we’ve played in the right way. I hope everybody’s enjoyed the journey.”
