We deserve all the flak coming our way, says keeper Joe Hart after England defeat by Iceland
Goalkeeper Joe Hart said England “didn’t perform” and deserve the criticism they will get after being knocked out of Euro 2016 by tiny Iceland in a huge shock on Monday.
And after coach Roy Hodgson resigned immediately after the defeat, Hart said the new boss, whoever it is, “has a tough job on his hands”.
Hart, who let the second Icelandic goal in the 2-1 defeat squirm under his fingers, said: “As a group it is down to us. All the plans are put in place, we knew everything about Iceland but ultimately we didn’t perform. Personally I didn’t perform.”
“It’s not a question of wanting it, there’s nothing we want more.
“We were in a good place but we haven’t done it. We will get a lot of flak and we deserve it,” Hart said.
“We will learn from this and try and bring English football back to where it belongs. We have put it in a low place.
“The next manager has a tough job on his hands. We worked hard but with no success. That is how this team will be remembered.”
Striker Wayne Rooney insisted that despite the huge setback “the future is bright” for England because of the young players in the squad such as 18-year-old Marcus Rashford, who made a brief appearance as a substitute.
“As you can imagine, everyone’s disappointed and gutted. It’s a hard one to take,” Rooney said.
“As players we appreciate what Roy has done for us. He’s given a lot of players their debuts for England. You can’t forget that. It’s hard to see it now, but the future is bright.”
Despite scoring a penalty and equalling David Beckham’s England record of 115 international appearances for an outfield player, Rooney will have few happy memories of the night.
But the 30-year-old said he was determined to continue his international career.
“I’m interested and excited to see who the next manager is and if selected, I’m available to play.”