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England midfielder Bukayo Saka has been waiting for a moment of redemption for three years. The 22-year-old finally got it on Saturday, scoring a goal and then converting his shot in the penalty shootout against Switzerland to help send the Three Lions through to the Euro 2024 semifinals.
Saka sounded off after being named Man of the Match, via Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
“It was special,” Saka admitted. “Last time we had a penalty shootout at the Euros, we all know what happened. I have faith in God to come back from something like that. Today, I took the chance and I'm happy.”
The Arsenal star, of course, was referring to his missed penalty in the shootout against Italy in the Euro 2020 final, which sealed a gut-wrenching England loss on its home turf of Wembley Stadium.
Saka didn't let his past haunt him when stepping up to the penalty spot on Saturday, via The Gazette's Steve Douglas.
“I’m not going to be focusing on the past,” he said. “That’s done. I can only focus on now and taking the penalty. I know there are lot of nervous people watching, my family included in the crowd, but I kept my cool and I scored.”
Saka's clinical finishing saved the Three Lions from an embarrassing exit against an underdog. The squad will face the winner of Saturday's Turkey-Netherlands match in the semifinal, which will take place on July 10th.
Will Saka continue his redemption tour even longer?
Saka has been vital to England in Euro 2024
Saka, who was 19 when he missed the penalty against Italy, faced racial abuse from online fans after foiling the chance. Some players may have crumbled under the pressure of having their country on their shoulders again, especially after such a painful incident.
Saka, though, isn't just any player.
“For me, it’s something I embrace,” Saka said. “You can fail once but you have a choice if you put yourself in that position or not again. I’m a guy who is going to put myself in that position. I believed in myself. And when I saw the ball hit the back of the net, I was a very happy man.”
The dynamic youngster's equalizer in the 80th minute breathed new life into an England squad that had just conceded a Swiss goal five minutes earlier. Both the goal and penalty saw him finish in the bottom corner of the net, complete with an ear-cupping celebration after the spot kick.
Saka, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane have all been standouts for England throughout the tournament, although the latter wasn't a main character in Saturday's match. Kane was subbed off for Ivan Toney, who slotted away his penalty after Saka converted his. Right back Trent Alexander-Arnold then sent Switzerland home, ending the shootout 5-3.
Thanks to the mixture of young wonder kids like Saka and Bellingham, as well as the lumbering presence of Kane, England may finally win a trophy for the first time since the 1966 World Cup.
