Wayne Rooney has admitted that another penalty shoot-out defeat is “a horrible way to go out” after England were eliminated by Italy at the quarter-final stage on Sunday.
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Following an uninspiring 120 minutes from Roy Hodgson’s charges, it again came down to the ‘lottery’ of spot-kicks, with the Three Lions’ record being extended to six defeats in seven attempts following Alessandro Diamanti decisive last penalty.
And Rooney, who converted his own spot-kick, could not hide his disappointment, and feels that the way his team lost will be the most difficult part to stomach.
"It was a horrible way to go out. We are all gutted. It was a tough game and we all worked hard. To lose on pens is a horrible feeling for everyone,” the striker told reporters.
Rooney refused to be too deflated though, and feels that the experience of this tournament will serve to put the youngsters in the squad in good stead for the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He added: "We can hold our heads up high, there are a lot of young players in the squad and that will help them in the next tournament."
