Former England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed that Marcus Rashford's missed penalty in the Euro 2020 final was partly due to the player having practised too much, leading to a complete overhaul of England's shootout strategy.
The Wembley Heartbreak
Speaking exclusively on the High Performance podcast ahead of his book launch, Southgate explained his reasoning behind bringing Rashford on specifically to take a penalty during the 3-2 shootout defeat to Italy at Wembley. The manager disclosed that despite Rashford's impressive 87% success rate from the spot compared to Raheem Sterling's 33%, the timing and preparation worked against the striker.
"I didn't put Raheem in that position on that night," Southgate stated. "He was a more experienced player but his penalty record was 33%. Marcus Rashford's was 87%. Clearly only being on the pitch for a very short period isn't helpful, but that's a big percentage shift."
A Radical Change in Approach
The former England boss identified over-preparation as a key factor in Rashford's miss, which led to him receiving terrible racist abuse alongside Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, who also failed from the spot.
"I think one of the things in 2021, Marcus had practised almost too many times," Southgate revealed. "He was trying to be too perfect in practice, because the goalkeepers had started to read where he'd go. Normally people talk about rushed penalty kicks - he actually takes longer."
This realisation prompted a dramatic shift in England's approach. "We actually practised a little bit less," Southgate confirmed, adding that this revised strategy contributed to England winning their next shootout.
Seeking Unconventional Advice
In the aftermath of the devastating loss, Southgate consulted poker expert Caspar Berry to help reshape England's penalty strategy. The manager also changed where players stood during shootouts and refined his team talk in the crucial minutes between extra-time and penalties.
Recalling Berry's advice, Southgate said: "His point to us was you had a good hand there, you were right to play the hand. You lost it, but if you play that hand ten times you'll win eight of them."
The strategic changes proved effective when England won their next penalty shootout in 2024, helping them reach their first final on foreign soil, though they ultimately lost 2-1 to Spain.
The Personal Toll of Management
Southgate also opened up about the immense pressure that led to his resignation two days after the Euro 2024 final, revealing he would have stepped down even if England had beaten Spain.
"Expectations had changed around the team," he explained. "If we don't win it [Euro 24] I just knew the narrative would be a desire for change externally. The crowd is turning in the stadium."
The emotional strain was so significant that Southgate admitted to feeling just "eight minutes" of joy after England's semi-final victory against Holland, despite it being "as good as it gets as a coach."
He described how the enjoyment from victories became increasingly fleeting: "Loved watching the players celebrate in the dressing room for five minutes and then suddenly I thought 'No, no, I lived all this in the last Euros, and then three days later it was carnage'."
The former manager also revealed he prevented his family from attending matches until the final due to concerns about negative comments, wanting to protect his wife Alison and their two children from the intense scrutiny.
Despite the challenges, Southgate expressed no regrets about taking the England job, describing it as an incredible life experience that allowed him to meet royalty, prime ministers, and be involved in some of football's biggest games.
