Gary Neville claims England’s nearly men got it wrong with ‘unlucky’ penalty claims

Neville’s England career was dominated by near-misses in penalty shoot-outs, with England's succession of failures from the spot ending their hopes of glory time and again.

Yet the mood has changed around penalty kicks for England in major tournaments and even though they lost the Euro 2020 final in shoot-out against Italy, they have emerged victorious in spot kick contests on two occasions since Gareth Southgate took over as England manager.

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Now Neville has taken to LinkedIn to suggest the English claims that misfortunate was their biggest enemy when they lost penalty contests in previous years was unjustified.

In a message posted below an image on him looking dejected after England went out of the 2006 World Cup in a penalty shoot-out, Neville saluted Bukayo Saka for bouncing back from his despair of missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final and also applauded England’s young players for holding their nerve under the most extreme pressure.

“I used to think when I played getting knocked out on penalties was unlucky,” he wrote.

“This picture is post 2006 penalty shoot out. The third time as a player I’d been knocked out in semis and quarter-finals for England. Yesterday England went through to a semi final on penalties.

“Saka recovering from a horrendous experience of being racially abused post Euro 2020. (Cole) Palmer and (Ivan) Toney in their first tournament stepping up.

“Jude Bellingham at 21 years of age and still a baby. Trent Alexander Arnold having had a rough 2 weeks taking that final penalty.

“All these lads not only under the natural pressure of actually taking one but under the added pressures above.

“Whilst we have carried our luck in this tournament so far, winning on pens is not lucky.

"Having the right players in the squad, on the pitch, with the right information and mentally strong are decisions and qualities that this group have.

“Well done to Gareth and the players but particularly to those lads who took the spot kicks so brilliantly and with such composure.”

Neville also believes England’s Euro 2024 ambitions could be ‘written in the stars’, as they have overcome a series of poor performances to reach the semi-finals.

"Do you know something? Honestly, I think there’s an element of what’s happening in this tournament that makes you think it’s written in the stars,” Neville told ITV Sport.

“Something is happening. Everything that could fall for us is. We’ve won one game in 90 minutes out of five and yet we’re in the semis so you think something is happening for us.”