Footage has emerged that appears to show that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was in line to take England’s next penalty in their shootout against Italy.
England lost to Italy at Wembley in the Euro 2020 Final on Sunday after Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka missed from the spot.
Saka had his decisive fifth penalty save by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Jose Mourinho and Roy Keane are among those who have questioned why the 19-year-old Arsenal midfielder stepped up before more experienced players including Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish.
Gareth Southgate has confirmed he selected the order for the penalty takers and footage has emerged that appears to show he named Pickford as his sixth penalty taker.
A video shows Southgate going around his choices before the shootout started.
Gareth going around his choices from Rashford onwards.
— Limpar33 (@Limpar33) July 12, 2021
3 = Rashford
4 = Sancho
5 = Saka
6 = Pickford
7 = Phillips
Then he points to someone and says “eight”.
Beggars belief how Pickford is taking one before other established outfield players. pic.twitter.com/WnpsiCwuSB
After speaking to Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Saka, the England manager goes up to Pickford, then Kalvin Phillips and he then points to someone out of shot and says “eight”.
Pickford did score when up stepped as the fifth taker for England in a penalty shoot-out against Switzerland in the Nations League in 2019.
But it would have been a big call for Southgate to name him ahead of Sterling and Grealish, who has since confirmed he asked to take a penalty in the shootout.
