World Cup 2022: England players head home after France quarter-final defeat

2 years ago 43

Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live connected BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Day-by-day TV listings - Full sum details

Captain Harry Kane said England volition usage their decision by France to beryllium "mentally and physically stronger for the adjacent challenge" arsenic they headed location from the World Cup successful Qatar.

Gareth Southgate's broadside person near their edifice successful Al Wakrah earlier their formation home.

"Absolutely gutted," said Kane.

Writing connected societal media, the Tottenham guardant added: "We've fixed it everything and it's travel down to a tiny item which I instrumentality work for. There's nary hiding from it, it hurts and it'll instrumentality immoderate clip to get implicit it but that's portion of sport.

"Now it's astir utilizing the acquisition to beryllium mentally and physically stronger for the adjacent challenge. Thanks for each the enactment passim the tourney - it means a lot."

Speaking astir Kane's punishment miss, erstwhile England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live: "That's the beingness of a centre-forward. You enactment yourself successful those positions and it volition haunt Harry for the remainder of his life."

England centre-back Harry Maguire echoed his captain's words, and besides paid peculiar tribute to Southgate who has said he volition "review and reflect" connected his side's exit with the Football Association earlier making a determination connected his future.

Southgate, who has been England manager since 2016, has a declaration that runs until the Euro 2024 finals.

"Last nighttime hurt. Absolutely gutted. Special acknowledgment to Gareth and you astonishing fans who kept content successful me. I emotion my state and I anticipation we made you proud," said Maguire.

Under Southgate, England reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 last earlier their elimination against the defending champions successful Qatar.

Midfielder Declan Rice added: "The greater the talent, the greater the aim. The greater the aim, the greater the symptom on the way to reaching it.

"This is each portion of the travel to america being palmy arsenic a team.

"Thank you to everyone for your unthinkable support. We gave it perfectly everything."

England departed their edifice successful Qatar astatine astir 12:30pm section clip and are expected to onshore successful the UK aboriginal connected Sunday.

Players waved to fans gathered extracurricular the edifice arsenic they boarded a manager with midfielder Jude Bellingham taking the clip to motion memorabilia.

Earlier, FA main enforcement Mark Bullingham said the squad was "hurting" aft the last-eight defeat.

"Like each England fans we consciousness the symptom of losing a quarter-final, on with the coaches, players and enactment squad who are hurting this morning," helium said successful a statement.

"Gareth and Steve [Holland] prepared the squad exceptionally good passim the tournament. The players were committed to winning the trophy and were precise good led by Harry Kane.

"But athletics tin person good margins and connected the day, against the existent satellite champions, it was not to be.

"This is simply a precise breathtaking young English squad and, contempt the aggravated disappointment of past night, they should beryllium precise arrogant of their performances successful Qatar.

"We are incredibly arrogant of Gareth, the players, the coaches and the enactment squad and admit each the hard enactment they enactment in. "

BBC Sport app banner

Get the latest results and extremity notifications for immoderate squad astatine the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

BBC Sport banner BBC Sounds logo